About the SPARC Portal

### Datasets Publicly Available - The number of public [datasets](https://sparc.science/help/3vcLloyvrvmnK3Nopddrka#datasets) displayed on the [SPARC Portal](https://sparc.science/help/3vcLloyvrvmnK3Nopddrka#sparc-portal): - December 2020: 58 - March 2021: 70 - The number of public [computational studies](https://sparc.science/help/3vcLloyvrvmnK3Nopddrka#computational-study) and services on the SPARC Portal: - December 2020: 10 - March 2021: 10 ### Embargoed Datasets - Total number of [datasets](https://sparc.science/help/3vcLloyvrvmnK3Nopddrka#datasets) that entered [embargo](https://sparc.science/help/3vcLloyvrvmnK3Nopddrka#embargo) over the last quarter - December 2020: 8 - March 2021: 1 - Total number of datasets that exited embargo over the last quarter - December 2020: 0 - March 2021: 23 - Total number of datasets in [Blackfynn data management](https://sparc.science/help/3vcLloyvrvmnK3Nopddrka#blackfynn-data-management-platform) in embargo state: - December 2020: 62 - March 2021: 40 ### Dataset Downloads - Total number of [datasets](https://sparc.science/help/3vcLloyvrvmnK3Nopddrka#datasets) downloaded directly from the [SPARC Portal](https://sparc.science/help/3vcLloyvrvmnK3Nopddrka#sparc-portal) (< 5 GB by definition) - December 2020: 35 - March 2021: 141 - Total number of datasets downloaded directly from [Blackfynn Discover](https://sparc.science/help/3vcLloyvrvmnK3Nopddrka#blackfynn-discover) (< 5 GB by definition) - December 2020: 6 - March 2021: 12 - Total number of datasets downloaded directly from S3 (excludes the datasets from the first two metrics above) - December 2020: 87 - March 2021: 58 - Total number of datasets accessed on S3 but not downloaded - December 2020: 0 - March 2021: 0 ### Bytes of Data Available - Total number of bytes available on the [SPARC Portal](https://sparc.science/help/3vcLloyvrvmnK3Nopddrka#sparc-portal): - December 2020: 6.86 TB - March 2021: 7.18 TB - Average number of bytes in each [dataset](https://sparc.science/help/3vcLloyvrvmnK3Nopddrka#datasets): - December 2020: 117.2 GB - March 2021: 105.1 GB ### Publications and Citations - Total number of times that the [DOI](https://sparc.science/help/3vcLloyvrvmnK3Nopddrka#digital-object-identifier-doi) of a [dataset](https://sparc.science/help/3vcLloyvrvmnK3Nopddrka#datasets) is cited in publication (provided by DataCite): - December 2020: - 10.26275/defd-macu: 1 - 10.26275/sydt-lkiw: 1 - 10.26275/pgr9-bk2e: 1 - 10.26275/nluu-1ews: 1 - 10.26275/maq2-eii4: 1 - 10.26275/8pc2-rhu2: 1 - 10.26275/ilb9-0e2a: 1 - 10.26275/z3ab-7j9y: 1 - March 2021: - https://doi.org/10.26275/fbzm-3eii: 1 - https://doi.org/10.26275/spfh-lx9g: 1 - https://doi.org/10.26275/3m8n-0owa: 1 - https://doi.org/10.26275/sydt-lkiw: 1 - https://doi.org/10.26275/nluu-1ews: 1 - https://doi.org/10.26275/maq2-eii4: 1 - https://doi.org/10.26275/8pc2-rhu2: 1 - https://doi.org/10.26275/ilb9-0e2a: 1 - https://doi.org/10.26275/z3ab-7j9y: 1 - https://doi.org/10.26275/pgr9-bk2e: 1 - https://doi.org/10.26275/4qvr-kwzq: 1 - Total number of times that the DOI of any SPARC dataset is cited in publication (provided by DataCite) - December 2020: 8 - March 2021: 11 - Total number of times that the Portal URL is cited (provided by Google Scholar) - December 2020: 8 - March 2021: 3 ### Organs Covered, by Modality - Total number of organs with data associated with them - December 2020: 10 - March 2021: 8 - Total number of organs with [simulations](https://sparc.science/help/3vcLloyvrvmnK3Nopddrka#simulations) associated with them - December 2020: 2 - March 2021: 2 - Organs are defined as the organ categories available on the [SPARC Portal](https://sparc.science/help/3vcLloyvrvmnK3Nopddrka#sparc-portal) - December 2020: 12 - March 2021: 8 ### Unique Visitors of Portal - Average number of unique visitors per month over the quarter (provided by Google Analytics) - December 2020: 462 - March 2021: 597 ### SPARC Portal Click through Rate - Average time on site per visitor over the quarter (provided by Google Analytics) - December 2020: 4m 22s - March 2021: 5m 0s - Average number of pages per site visit over the quarter (provided by Google Analytics) - December 2020: 4.31 - March 2021: 5.02 ### Registered o²S²PARC Users - Total number of registered users at the date of reporting - December 2020: 94 - March 2021: 97 - June 2021: 125 - September 2021: 136

### SPARC Portal Release Notes - May 23, 2022 #### New - A new [help center](https://docs.sparc.science/) has been added to the Portal. - A help icon and tooltip has been added on the Map's sidebar to explain filter behavior. #### Improved - Within datasets, tooltips have been added to file names to prevent users from having to open the file manifest in order to see files with long names. - On the dataset details page, the Citations tab has been renamed "References" to more accurately reflect the content it displays. - A note has been added to the Cite tab of the dataset details page encouraging users to cite SPARC Portal data. - The Tools and Resources tab now select the "Developed by SPARC" facet by default in order to highlight SPARC-developed tools and resources. - From the main search, selecting Resources from the dropdown menu returns results from the tools and resources section of the Find Data tab. - Searching for "osparc," "o2s2parc," and "o²S²PARC" all return the same results in Portal Help. - The bladder icon featured on the homepage is now named "Urinary System" and selects for all relevant search facets. - From a dataset details page, clicking on a flatmap brings the user to the most relevant species' flatmap available. Flatmap thumbnails have also been updated to display relevant flatmap icons. - Updates have been added to the Biolucida image viewer to allow for easier use and a better 3D viewing experience. - A permalink option is available within the image viewer to save viewer states. This allows users to return to the same image zoom level/slice/etc. - A new, optional URL field has been added to the Contact Us feedback form. ### SPARC Portal Release Notes - March 28, 2022 #### New - An auto-generated email will be sent to users on submission of Portal feedback via Contact Us. - The Community Spotlight landing page is now split into three sections to highlight Success Stories, along with Fireside Chats and Community Spotlights. #### Improved - The Dataset Details page has been updated with the following changes: - Under the About tab, the award number of each dataset is now linked back to the relevant projects page. - Dataset title breadcrumbs are no longer abbreviated. - The subject and sample counts under the metadata section are surfaced, when available. - The Primary Publication listed on datasets is now presented as the full APA citation. - The "Methodology" header has been removed from the Abstract tab. - The left-hand section has been renamed "Search related datasets" from "Search similar datasets." - The note about embargoed dataset permissions only appears on embargoed datasets, and only when hovering over the "Get Dataset" button. - The Find Data page has been updated with the following changes: - The publication date of each dataset is surfaced. - Search facets default to closed. - The flatmap metadata titles – taxo and uberon – were changed to species and organ, respectively, to provide more meaningful information to users. - Clicking on the Contact Us option opens the window in a new tab for ease of use. ### SPARC Portal Release Notes - February 15, 2022 #### New - Under the Citations tab of the Dataset Details page, publications are now listed as full citations. - On the Find Data faceted browse page, you can now filter events by type. - The SPARC Portal Help Center presents two new articles - [Publishing a Flatmap as a SPARC Dataset](/help/publishing-a-flatmap-as-a-sparc-dataset#top) - [Information for Developers](/help/information-for-developers#top) #### Improved - The Files tab on the Dataset Details page no longer begins in a home folder as the root directory, but in the files folder as specified by the SDS. - Within Portal search bars, the inputted text is darker than placeholder text. - Text in the hero on the homepage no longer obscures the hero image at smaller breakpoints. - Long URLs for tools and resources are truncated to fit within the page frame at smaller breakpoints. - The search icon no longer disappears intermittently while switching between tabs on the Portal. - The SPARC Portal Help Center presents updates to the following articles - [Glossary](/help/3vcLloyvrvmnK3Nopddrka#top) - [Knowledge Management and Curation Core (K-Core) Information](/about/team-and-leadership/knowledge-management-and-curation-core-k-core-information) ### SPARC Portal Release Notes - January 13, 2022 #### New - The dataset details page has been redesigned to provide a more user-friendly experience. - A new data category for Nerves and Ganglia has been added on the Portal homepage. #### Improved - Tools and Resources can now be assigned to multiple category types, allowing resources to be found more easily. - Clicking download in a dataset Files folder with no files selected no longer results in a confusing error message. - The SPARC Portal Help Center presents updates to the following articles - [SPARC Data Submission Overview](/help/7k8nEPuw3FjOq2HuS8OVsd#top) - [Overview of SPARC Dataset Format](/help/3FXikFXC8shPRd8xZqhjVT#top) - [Guidelines for Effective Titles and Descriptions for SPARC Datasets](/help/guidelines-for-effective-titles-and-descriptions-for-sparc-datasets#top) ### SPARC Portal Release Notes - November 22, 2021 #### New - The Tools and Resources page has been updated to serve as a landing page to guide user exploration of tools and resources and their uses. - In SPARC Portal Help, a [new document](/help/service-status-pages#top) is available with links to track Portal API and resource statuses. - On the Maps page, the sample size of the study is included as part of the surfaced metadata. #### Improved - Within the scaffold viewer, clicking on a region brings up an opacity editing feature; the feature can now be removed from the screen upon clicking the arrow on the left side of the display. - On the Maps, after selecting a region of interest, the facet selection remains while the user navigates through the results. - The Portal now lists projects that were previously not listed on the Projects tab. - Additional classification options have been added to events, such as virtual conferences, funding, and cancelled. - The Help center is now consistently referred to as Help across the entire Portal. Breadcrumbs on help documentation correctly refer to Help. - At the bottom of a Tools and Resource details page, the user can now click to view all tools and resources. ### SPARC Portal Release Notes - October 11, 2021 #### New - On the Find Data page, faceted navigation is available for users to explore datasets and other Portal information. - The SPARC Standards and Policies have been added to the Portal and can be accessed using the [Other SPARC Policies](../policies-and-standards) selection in the footer. - The SPARC Portal Help Center presents two new articles: - [Overview of Segmentation Viewer](/help/overview-of-segmentation-viewer#top) - [Overview of Simulation Viewer](/help/overview-of-simulation-viewer#top) #### Improved - The About page has been redesigned to provide users with more information; as a result, some Help Center content has been migrated to the new About page. - A dataset's author list will no longer need to be expanded to show all authors. - The Devices category is now displayed on the Tools and Resources page, featuring tools relevant to SPARC Portal users. - On the Home page, the *View more* button under *Find Data by Category* returns all datasets the Find Data page. - In the Footer, the Site Feedback link routes users to the new Contact Us page. - On the Maps page, the flatmap now includes a disclaimer indicating that all species' flatmaps are derived from rat anatomy. - On the Home page, the hero image now emphasizes nerves and nerve pathways more than organs. - The version history of datasets now includes a revisions column, which allows the last updated date to align with the version history. - The SPARC Portal Help Center presents updates to the [Glossary](/help/3vcLloyvrvmnK3Nopddrka#top), including the addition of the SPARC Image Minimal Information Standard, and to the [Overview of Image Viewer](/help/overview-of-image-viewer#top) help article. ### SPARC Portal Release Notes - August 31, 2021 #### New - In the Gallery tab of Dataset details page, a segmentation viewer is now available for viewing relevant segmentation data. - The SPARC Portal Help Center presents a new help article about the [SPARC Portal Data Repository Structure](https://sparc.science/help/sparc-portal-data-repository-structure#top). #### Improved - Page flow on the Image Details page has been modified, and more metadata are now presented for each image. - On the Event details pages, event images are now clickable and will link to an external URL of that event, where applicable. - The News and Events page has been updated with the following fixes: - On the Events landing page, past events are now sorted newest to oldest. - On the News and Events page, the wording on the newsletter widget has been updated. - On the Find Data page, text can now be properly cleared from the search bar. - On the Tools and Resources page, the category previously titled ‘Databases’ has been renamed ‘Data and Models.’ - SPARC Portal Help Center help pages have been updated to include anchor links to the SPARC glossary. - Help articles with a Table of Contents now have a back button functionality. In a Table of Contents, clicking a link and then clicking the back button will return the user to the Table of Contents instead of the previous page. - The SPARC Portal Help Center presents updates to the following articles - [FAQ](https://sparc.science/help/35hnVPUSvTqu8szoRVcnfy#top) - [How to Use and Access SPARC Data](https://sparc.science/help/74tEteJrzNOLyExCtcdKJv#top) - [Overview of Gallery Viewer](https://sparc.science/help/overview-of-gallery-viewer#top) - The About SPARC page now includes SPARC's goals and their development. - The Contact Us option in the Portal's header now accepts feedback for both dropdown options listed. ### SPARC Portal Release Notes - July 19, 2021 #### New - A Community Spotlight section has been added to the News and Events page, featuring a section that highlights SPARC science achievements and breakthroughs. - A new request form for Airtable and Slack accounts has been added to the help article [User Accounts and Organizations](https://sparc.science/help/5CuQGs6lBnfSdzroVp0Etf) to facilitate access to these accounts. #### Improved - The Find Data page has been updated with a new and improved look, featuring more descriptive metadata. - Embargoed datasets are no longer shown when 'public' is chosen as the filtered criteria on the Find Data page. - The SPARC Portal Help Center presents updates to the articles [Glossary](https://sparc.science/help/3vcLloyvrvmnK3Nopddrka) and [Navigating a SPARC Dataset](https://sparc.science/help/qvEcnv56c76V0JC0KvtSd). ### SPARC Portal Release Notes - June 7, 2021 #### New - The scaffold viewer now supports permalinks, enabling users to easily share and save specific views on the SPARC Portal. - On the Tools and Resources section of the SPARC Portal, detail pages have been added; see an example [here](https://sparc.science/resources/4LkLiH5s4FV0LVJd3htsvH). - The SPARC Portal Help Center presents two new help articles: - [The SPARC Data and Resource Center](https://sparc.science/help/the-sparc-data-and-resource-center) - [Overview of Scaffold Viewer](https://sparc.science/help/overview-of-scaffold-viewer) #### Improved - On the Dataset details page, URLs now change with user navigation through the tabs/files of a dataset to promote ease of use and state tracking. - On the Dataset details page, icons are now used to communicate what actions are available for each file. - On the Tools and Resources page, the search result summary matches the number of results displayed. - On the Maps page, the sidebar has had minor bug fixes. - The share link on a News or Event details page now notifies the user that the link has been copied to clipboard. - The SPARC Portal Help Center presents updates to the articles [Getting Started](https://sparc.science/help/9JZsVzj2xZUMQuzx4RuU7) and [Modeling & Simulation Core (SIM-Core) Information](https://sparc.science/help/4EFMev665H4i6tQHfoq5NM). ### SPARC Portal Release Notes - April 27, 2021 #### New - Embargoed datasets are now displayed on the Portal, maintaining the privacy of relevant files and scientific metadata during the embargo period. - Primary publications are displayed under the About tab on the Dataset details page. - Users can now submit news and event items to be displayed on the Portal directly from the News and Events page. - The SPARC Portal Help Center presents three new help articles for SPARC Investigators: - [How to Clean an ORCiD Profile](https://sparc.science/help/how-to-clean-an-orcid-profile) - [Guidelines for Effective Titles and Descriptions for SPARC Datasets](https://sparc.science/help/guidelines-for-effective-titles-and-descriptions-for-sparc-datasets) - [SPARC Webinars](https://sparc.science/help/sparc-webinars) #### Improved - On the Dataset details page, the citation section is more prominently featured. - On the Dataset details page, a full date is now included in the citation section. - Publication and last updated date inconsistencies on datasets were sorted out. - The layout of the News and Events page has been updated. - News and Events detail pages have been updated to include external links. - The Tools and Resources page has two new categories: Databases and Information Services. - The Tools and Resources submission form has been updated to remain consistent with other submission forms on the Portal. - The link to the Glossary in the Footer of all pages has been fixed. - The SPARC Portal Help Center presents updates to the article [Accessing Public Datasets](https://sparc.science/help/zQfzadwADutviJjT19hA5) to include information on how to download partial datasets and individual files. - The SPARC Portal Help Center presents updates to the [FAQ](https://sparc.science/help/35hnVPUSvTqu8szoRVcnfy) and [Glossary](https://sparc.science/help/3vcLloyvrvmnK3Nopddrka). ### SPARC Portal Release Notes - March 16, 2021 #### New - On the Dataset details page, users can now find all versions of datasets and studies. - The SPARC Portal Help Center presents a new document about the Gallery Viewer. - A "Policies" section has been added to the SPARC Portal footer, so users can easily find them all in one place. - On the Home page, a "view more" button is now featured under 'Find Data by Category' to navigate to datasets by organ easily. - Maps now support permalinks enabling users to easily share and save specific views on the SPARC Portal's flatmap section. - The following file formats now launch viewers in the file action menu on the dataset details page: PDF, TXT, JPG, PNG, SVG, and MP4. #### Improved - The Contact Us form has been updated, allowing users an easier way to contact SPARC Portal administrators. ### SPARC Portal Release Notes - February 2, 2021 #### New - Under the About tab on the Dataset details page, the user can now find associated publications below references. - The SPARC Portal Help Center presents a new article on SPARC Data and Usage Statistics. - Each News and Events now have a landing page that can display more information. #### Improved - When navigating back to the Dataset listing page from a Dataset landing page, the user will now be redirected to the same position they left in the list. - On the Dataset details page, under the "About" tab, the user can now easily find the "Corresponding author". ### SPARC Portal Release Notes - December 21, 2020 #### New - The SPARC Portal Help Center presents a new article on K-Core under the Data & Resource Center section. - The SPARC About Page now exhibits an additional article on the future plans of the SPARC Portal. - The SPARC Portal Help Center presents a separate article regarding the other platforms associated with the SPARC Portal. #### Improved - The revised high-level diagram describing the SPARC submission steps is available here: [https://sparc.science/help/7k8nEPuw3FjOq2HuS8OVsd](https://sparc.science/help/7k8nEPuw3FjOq2HuS8OVsd) - The protocols are now listed on separate lines on the dataset details page, increasing their visibility and legibility. - The “Getting Started” document in the SPARC Portal Help Center has been revised. - The Resources Page was reworked, so each resource now presents some contact information and whether SPARC developed them. - The Resources Page now has tabs to organize the resources by categories. - Sorting by date in the Organ and Project sections now works. ### SPARC Portal Release Notes - November 9, 2020 #### New - The SPARC Portal and its pipeline now recognizes these additional file formats: CRAM, JPEG2000, NDPI, NIFTI, OIB, OIF, ROI, SWC - The SPARC Portal Help Center presents a separate article about the dataset details gallery viewer. #### Improved - On a Dataset details page, users can now select more than one file to download. - The SPARC Portal Help Center incorporates cross-referencing within the article to allow users to navigate through documentation more efficiently. - The visual display of the News & Events section of the SPARC Portal homepage is enhanced on different devices. - The File details page link correctly opens on a new webpage for every file; this functionality malfunctioned previously. - The datasets listing page organizes the dataset by reverse chronological order by default. ### SPARC Portal Release Notes - September 28, 2020 #### New - At the bottom of all pages, “Glossary”, “Terms of Service” and “Material sharing policy” options are added to allow users to navigate to the respective SPARC project pages effortlessly. - The SPARC Portal Help Center presents a separate article about the SPARC Materials Sharing Policy. - The About SPARC page now has a new section regarding the SPARC's Plans for the Future. - On the Projects listing page, the NIH Award is now a clickable link redirecting to the NIH RePORT page. - On Dataset details pages, there is now a "Cite Dataset" button in the upper portion of the page so the user can easily navigate to the citation section. #### Improved - On Project details pages, the datasets listing is now fixed and displays the correct datasets. - The performance and appearance of the SPARC Portal have been improved for narrow screens. - The font size of projects and simulations have been enhanced for supporting mobile devices. - The Dataset details pages now display the complete contributor list. - The ability to download datasets has been restored. - The Home page's banner image is now displayed consistently across different web browsers. - The organ images are replaced with a new set of images. - The previous SPARC events are now displayed along with the event dates. ### SPARC Portal Release Notes - August 17, 2020 #### New - At the bottom of the SPARC Portal homepage, the “SPARC Publications” option is added to allow users to find all the publications linked to a SPARC project. - On the “Find Data” page, the title of the page now appears over the search bar, so users know which page they’re on. #### Improved - On the SPARC Portal homepage, the "Resources" menu item has been renamed to "Tools & Resources" to represent the content of the page better. - In the SPARC Glossary under the SPARC support center, all the links get opened in a new tab/window allowing the user to keep track of their ongoing tasks on the portal. - On the dataset details page, the protocol and DOI links are now shown in the proper style for links so users know they can click on them. - The appearance of citations is enhanced across different web browsers (Firefox and Safari). - Some technical changes were introduced for the "News & Events" section of the SPARC Portal, so it always displays the most relevant information. ### SPARC Portal Release Notes - July 6th, 2020 #### New - The SPARC portal is enhanced with a new “Maps” section which provides a visually appealing user interface to navigate through anatomically/physiologically accurate structure of various species. - A new gallery viewer interface is introduced on the dataset page for the user to view the graphical thumbnail gallery of images (including 3D image stacks), videos, and scaffold data. - A documentation link is added to the File browser of a dataset to present guidance on how to navigate the dataset format. #### Improved - The searched keyword(s) are now highlighted on the result page of the document for easy identification of the search results. - Each dataset now displays the point of contact for the user to reach them for more information directly. - The project pages are renewed to display the complete descriptions of the projects. - The citation formats are updated along with a new button to copy them quickly. More so the datasets are properly ingested by Endnote, Mendeley, and Zotero. ### SPARC Portal Release Notes - May 25th, 2020 #### New - A new documentation article on "How to use and download data" is now available to help users interact with the SPARC Portal in the right way. - A Glossary feedback link is added to the SPARC Portal footer for the users to submit a new term to the SPARC Glossary. - Pagination options are updated on all tables to provide a better user experience around browsing multiple entries. - The DOI link on a dataset details page is now clickable and navigates users to Blackfynn Discover, the dataset publishing platform for SPARC datasets. - A link to the SPARC Portal status page was added in the footer so users can have full access to the current and historical availability of the Portal and related technologies. - The search bar has been updated and allows users to search all sections of the SPARC Portal by selecting which kind of results they expect. #### Improved - Enhanced communication between different servers to ensure the users can always view and browse the files in a dataset. - The updated project listing page displays all projects regardless of the associated logo with the project. - The Dataset details page now opens on the “Description” tab so that users can have immediate access to the most important information of the dataset. - The SPARC Portal documentation was updated and improved to include grammatical and stylistic updates in accordance with UX best practices. - For the SPARC events, dates were added to all events listed on the front page to make this immediately visible to users. Moreover, we ensured that modifications and cancellations of events, particularly due to COVID-19, were reflected on the SPARC Portal. - The Organ listing page was updated and now only displays organs with associated datasets, following UX feedback. - We have fixed multiple minor visual issues throughout the site to ensure that all users have a smooth experience on our portal. - The banner video on the homepage of the SPARC Portal was updated to present a more visually impressive page. ### SPARC Portal Release Notes - April 13th, 2020 #### New - Every table on the portal is now sortable to allow you to reorder it the way you need. - When using the "Find Data" page, you will now be able to clear your search by clicking the cross in the search bar, this will also reset your search. - We added a documentation article to describe the Material Sharing Policy of the SPARC Program #### Improved - Clicking on a protocol link on a Dataset page will now open the protocol in a new window, so you do not lose track of what you were doing on the portal. - Our documentation has been improved, including but not limited to consistency in the acronyms, better quality images, added information about supported browsers. - In order to present full information to you, we remove the character limit of the description paragraph on the organ page. - We made the main banner of our portal more visually pleasing.

### Explore and Discover SPARC Output __Vision__: The [SPARC Portal](https://sparc.science/help/3vcLloyvrvmnK3Nopddrka#sparc-portal) permits visitors to explore and discover SPARC output. __Examples__: Where suitable, the SPARC Portal makes use of dedicated viewers to inspect data without downloading it (e.g., MBF viewers for microscopy images). Its robust search functionality and linking facilitate the discovery of related [datasets](https://sparc.science/help/3vcLloyvrvmnK3Nopddrka#datasets) and research. The anatomical maps offer powerful exploration and discovery of the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS). Finally, proper usability, visitor guidance, and documentation ensure that visitors can well appreciate the site content. ### Information and Insight about/into the ANS and its Physiological Role __Vision__: The [SPARC Portal](https://sparc.science/help/3vcLloyvrvmnK3Nopddrka#sparc-portal) provides a user-friendly mechanism to explore how the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) is structured, how organs are innervated, and how neuronal signalling propagates within the ANS and organs. This is achieved through consolidated and highly curated maps and computational models. The maps serve to visualize anatomical and functional relationships within the ANS. They can be used to discover portal content and to combine content for further analysis (e.g., measurement data as input of a computational model/analysis, computational models that can be coupled, data that serves to validate/constrain a model). __Example__: A user can select a specific branch of a particular nerve in the ANS. The SPARC Portal should provide information about the organs that are innervated by this specific branch of the nervous system and how these organs might respond when this branch of the nerve is stimulated. Where available, relevant simulation models that could predict this behavior are displayed. ### Finding of related/associated Data, Computational Models, Analysis Functionality, and Anatomical Models __Vision__: The [SPARC Portal](https://sparc.science/help/3vcLloyvrvmnK3Nopddrka#sparc-portal) provides access to a large amount of measurement data, computational models, data processing functionality, viewers, and resources. Through [curation](https://sparc.science/help/3vcLloyvrvmnK3Nopddrka#curation) and mapping, it is possible to find related/associated data, computational models, analysis functionality, and anatomical models. Functional maps can be used to identify models and data that can be coupled, or to provide information about limitations of computational models, by highlighting which functional dependencies are not considered. __Example__: When a user has selected a histological nerve cross-section image, the user should be offered the possibility of viewing it with a dedicated microscopy viewer, of segmenting it using a machine-learning tool for nerve-cross section [segmentation](https://sparc.science/help/3vcLloyvrvmnK3Nopddrka#segmentation) on [o²S²PARC](https://sparc.science/help/3vcLloyvrvmnK3Nopddrka#o%C2%B2s%C2%B2parc), or of converting it into a computational model suitable for neural interface [simulations](https://sparc.science/help/3vcLloyvrvmnK3Nopddrka#simulations). ### Facilitate Collaboration between SPARC Researchers __Vision__: A key strength of the online [SPARC DRC](https://sparc.science/help/3vcLloyvrvmnK3Nopddrka#sparc-data-and-resource-center-drc) infrastructure lies in facilitating collaborative work. The [SPARC Portal](https://sparc.science/help/3vcLloyvrvmnK3Nopddrka#sparc-portal) supports this through its current functionality (e.g., events, news, access to public [datasets](https://sparc.science/help/3vcLloyvrvmnK3Nopddrka#datasets), and listing of projects and key stakeholders) and upcoming planned functionality such as: 1) discussion forums, 2) ability to request access to [embargoed](https://sparc.science/help/3vcLloyvrvmnK3Nopddrka#embargo) [SPARC datasets](https://sparc.science/help/3vcLloyvrvmnK3Nopddrka#sparc-data-set), 3) enabling joint elaboration of computational models, and 4) helping to bridge the gap between experimental data collection and computational modeling. __Example__: Through the SPARC Portal, users login and initiate discussions about available resources within the SPARC ecosystem. They can rank datasets and simulation models, and reach out to the dataset owners to initiate a collaborative effort. Users might be able to submit announcements of events which will be listed and distributed to users who signed up to be continually informed. ### FAIRness and TRUSTworthiness in Data/Model Publication (Metadata annotation & querying) __Vision__: The [FAIR principles](https://sparc.science/help/3vcLloyvrvmnK3Nopddrka#fair-data-principles) stand for Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Re-usable. SPARC is committed to ensuring FAIRness and trustworthiness. For that purpose, the SPARC DRC maintains standards and harmonizes these with related standardization efforts. Furthermore, [SPARC DRC](https://sparc.science/help/3vcLloyvrvmnK3Nopddrka#sparc-data-and-resource-center-drc) provides an infrastructure that facilitates and encourages adherence to FAIRness. Currently, the [SPARC Portal](https://sparc.science/help/3vcLloyvrvmnK3Nopddrka#sparc-portal) largely ensures FAIRness, mainly through the [curation](https://sparc.science/help/3vcLloyvrvmnK3Nopddrka#curation) process, the publication process, mapping, and the design of the simulation framework. __Examples__: Some planned features to expand the FAIRness of SPARC data and resources include tracking the [provenance](https://sparc.science/help/3vcLloyvrvmnK3Nopddrka#provenance) and change history of (derived) data and models, support for quality assurance and trustworthiness in [o²S²PARC](https://sparc.science/help/3vcLloyvrvmnK3Nopddrka#o%C2%B2s%C2%B2parc) (credibility assessment, verification & validation, functionality to promote the [Ten Simple Rules](https://simtk.org/websvn/wsvn/cpms/doc/posters/fmd_2015.pdf)), and an expanded integration knowledge management system powering search functionality. ### SPARC Communication and Community Building __Vision__: The [SPARC Portal](https://sparc.science/help/3vcLloyvrvmnK3Nopddrka#sparc-portal) serves as a gateway for SPARC communication, both internal and external as well as community building. __Examples__: The SPARC Portal acts as a center to disseminate information about the SPARC program (documentation, success stories), SPARC-relevant events (meetings, webinars), and SPARC-related news, as well as a platform for forum-based discussions. The portal also provides links to related initiatives and resources beyond SPARC, and the [DRC](https://sparc.science/help/3vcLloyvrvmnK3Nopddrka#sparc-data-and-resource-center-drc) supports compatibility with selected initiatives and resources. The portal also facilitates communication related to its content (e.g., forum, discussion boards, messaging). __Larger Vision__: The above goals address SPARC-related activities, but the members of the DRC are passionate about supporting research endeavors beyond SPARC, particularly in ensuring data quality and research collaboration. Thus, the DRC also aims to: 1. Ensure [FAIRness](https://sparc.science/help/3vcLloyvrvmnK3Nopddrka#fair-data-principles) (e.g., through standards and curation, as well as quality assurance measures) and particularly also reproducible and extendable computational modeling and analysis. 2. Provide an integrated picture that exposes relationships between different physiological functions, neural maps, measurement data, and computational models. 3. Enable large-scale collaborative research. 4. Facilitate running analyses on the available data and models and to share analyses and the resulting derived data. 5. Permit sharing of established workflows created by experts. ### Roadmap: Short Term (2021) #### Functionality planned for roll out in the second half of 2021 - Harmonized and extended documentation - Extensive documentation of the [DRC](https://sparc.science/help/3vcLloyvrvmnK3Nopddrka#sparc-data-and-resource-center-drc) resources - Community building - Search and supporting infrastructure - Find [datasets](https://sparc.science/help/3vcLloyvrvmnK3Nopddrka#datasets) based on [metadata](https://sparc.science/help/3vcLloyvrvmnK3Nopddrka#metadata) (given values for [properties](https://sparc.science/help/3vcLloyvrvmnK3Nopddrka#properties) of: Samples, Subjects, Researchers, Protocols, Awards, and Dataset metadata, find all matching datasets) - Complex queries across data objects are supported (e.g., All samples collected using a particular protocol, or all images related to subjects from a particular strain across all of the SPARC efforts) - Facilitation of collaborative work - Ability for the platform to identify users to facilitate messaging, commenting, and other functionality - Ability to rate [datasets](https://sparc.science/help/3vcLloyvrvmnK3Nopddrka#datasets) based on quality and order datasets on the [SPARC Portal](https://sparc.science/help/3vcLloyvrvmnK3Nopddrka#sparc-portal) based on this ranking - Ability to sign up for programmatic notification about datasets from the SPARC Portal - Requesting access to [embargoed](https://sparc.science/help/3vcLloyvrvmnK3Nopddrka#embargo) [SPARC datasets](https://sparc.science/help/3vcLloyvrvmnK3Nopddrka#sparc-data-set) through the portal - Mechanism to request access to these [datasets](https://sparc.science/help/3vcLloyvrvmnK3Nopddrka#datasets) from the [SPARC Portal](https://sparc.science/help/3vcLloyvrvmnK3Nopddrka#sparc-portal) - Launch data-specific functionality directly from the portal - Ability to launch a specified workflow/viewer on [o²S²PARC](https://sparc.science/help/3vcLloyvrvmnK3Nopddrka#o%C2%B2s%C2%B2parc) - Integrated viewers in the web portal - Common web formats - Composing coupled computational models through the maps - Functionally connected models (and data) can be selected on the maps and (provided the meta-data indicates compatibility) combined into a coupled mode for simulation on [o²S²PARC](https://sparc.science/help/3vcLloyvrvmnK3Nopddrka#o%C2%B2s%C2%B2parc) - Maps and scaffolds - [Flatmaps](https://sparc.science/help/3vcLloyvrvmnK3Nopddrka#flatmaps) and generic 3D [scaffolds](https://sparc.science/help/3vcLloyvrvmnK3Nopddrka#scaffold) are archived in the [Physiome Model Repository (PMR)](https://sparc.science/help/3vcLloyvrvmnK3Nopddrka#pmr-physiome-model-repository) - Scaffolds that are fitted to [datasets](https://sparc.science/help/3vcLloyvrvmnK3Nopddrka#datasets) and contain registered (embedded) data are added accessible via the dataset details gallery viewer on the [SPARC Portal](https://sparc.science/help/3vcLloyvrvmnK3Nopddrka#sparc-portal) - Login functionality - Inclusion of non-SPARC data - Workflow for non-SPARC investigators to submit data to the portal - Tracking of [provenance](https://sparc.science/help/3vcLloyvrvmnK3Nopddrka#provenance) and change history for data and models - Robust concept will be defined for frequently evolving items such as computational model code and derived data #### Continuously ongoing activities will include - User support (e.g., via SPARC Portal Feedback form) - Community building - Success stories, PI video interviews - Webinars, fireside chats, SPARC Art contest - Other events - Search and supporting infrastructure - [Meta-data](https://sparc.science/help/3vcLloyvrvmnK3Nopddrka#metadata) [annotation](https://sparc.science/help/3vcLloyvrvmnK3Nopddrka#annotation) will be extended to the individual file level e.g., describing the type and content of individual [files](https://sparc.science/help/3vcLloyvrvmnK3Nopddrka#files) such as experimental group, subject ID, sample, sex, species, etc. - Meta-data will also include content describing data files, e.g., “voltage trace from a patch-clamp experiment” - Bridge the gap between experimental data collection and computational modeling - New functionality will be added, such as machine learning capabilities and closed-loop control - Tracking of [provenance](https://sparc.science/help/3vcLloyvrvmnK3Nopddrka#provenance) and change history for data and models ### Longer Term (beyond 2021) - Compatibility with other research initiatives - Harmonization with research produced by other initiatives will be achieved with an increasing number of repositories and standards - Search and supporting infrastructure - In the [SPARC Portal](https://sparc.science/help/3vcLloyvrvmnK3Nopddrka#sparc-portal), users will be able to combine map-based and graph/ontologies-driven searches - Given a particular entry on the portal (e.g., dataset, image, etc.), users will have the ability to search the broader community by linking out to [SciCrunch](https://sparc.science/help/3vcLloyvrvmnK3Nopddrka#scicrunch), PubMed, or other indexing services - Facilitation of collaborative work - Messaging and forum functionality will be provided for users to discuss different portal entries (e.g., datasets, files, models, etc.) - Specialist users will be able to review [datasets](https://sparc.science/help/3vcLloyvrvmnK3Nopddrka#datasets) - Bridge the gap between experimental data collection and computational modeling - An exchange platform dedicated to experimentalists reaching out for modeler feedback and vice versa - Teaching - Adapt the portal to support visualizations and interactions that are valuable for teaching - Support the creation of online teaching classes