Include PaNET terms in OAI-PMH DataCite records

[paulmillar]

Through PaNET, we now have a common approach for identifying experimental techniques. Therefore, it is now possible to identify through which technique data (in some dataset) was obtained.

The document Working with PaNET terms in SciCat describes how to include PaNET terms within SciCat datasets. It is a "how to", helping research institutes that have deployed SciCat to adopt PaNET.

The document Embedding PaNET in DataCite metadata describes how to embed PaNET terms within a DataCite record describing a dataset. The DataCite metadata record is an XML infoset that is (for example) available through OAI-PMH, where it is consumed by various metadata harvesting services (such as B2FIND and OpenAire).

Currently, the SciCat OAI-PMH interface supports the client requesting a DataCite record about a dataset, but does not adhere to ETN-1; that is, it does not provide information about which experimental technique was used to create a dataset. This is because the PaNET terms (within SciCat database) are missing from the DataCite record.

It is desirable that SciCat OAI-PMH interface is updated so that it can provide information about which experimental technique(s) were used to generate the dataset. The documents ETN-1 and ETN-2 (see above) should provide sufficient information on how the information should be encoded. Please feel free to comment in those documents if anything is unclear.

[paulmillar]

To be a bit more concrete, the file src/providers/scicat-provider/repository/openaire-mapper.ts defines the class OpenaireMapper, which contains the method createItemRecord. This method is responsible for building the XML that describes a dataset using the DataCite metadata.

This createItemRecord method currently does not include the <subjects> XML element, so is missing the <subject> XML elements needed to describe the PaNET technique according to ETH-1.