FAIR Computational Workflows - Keynote ICTeSSH 2021

Keynote Presented at the ICTeSSH 2021 Conference to Social Science and Humanities. ICTeSSH 2021, 30th June 2021

https://ictessh.uns.ac.rs/ In data intensive science multi-step tool-chains are widely used to help scientists manage, analyze, and share increasing volumes of complex data. The use of computational workflows to manage these multi-step computational processes has accelerated in the past few years driven by the need for scalable data processing, the exchange of processing know-how, and the desire for more reproducible (or at least transparent) and quality assured processing methods. The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has significantly highlighted the value of workflows. This increased interest in workflows has been matched by the number of workflow management systems available to scientists (over 280) and the number of workflow services like registries and monitors. There is also recognition that workflows are first class, publishable Research Objects just as data are. They deserve their own FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) principles and services that cater for their dual roles as explicit method description and software method execution. But what is a workflow? How are they used? Where can I find workflows? How do I publish them? What is a “FAIR” workflow? What are the current challenges? Who are these workflow designers and where can I find one? This keynote has two main themes. The first is to show what, why and how workflows are used, and what “FAIR” workflows might be, mainly drawing from the worlds of Life Science and Biodiversity but hopefully showing how the Social Science and Humanities community can benefit. The second is to explore the “who” – the social aspects of workflows as shared and sometimes co-developed method and how standards, workflow management systems and in particular the WorkflowHub.eu registry have been built and operate as open, community driven activities.