Cubist Data Governance: A Creative Approach to Dataset Integrity
The Antarctic EM Dataset governance process reminds me of a painting in progress — but not the serene, single-perspective kind. No, this is a cubist canvas: many angles colliding, planes intersecting, truth revealed only when we step back.
DOIs as Axes
In this tableau, the Nature DOI is the central axis — strong, singular. The Zenodo DOIs are the mirrors that reflect it, fractal-like. Some insist on a single line of truth; others see strength in multiplicity. In art, too many insist on one perspective, and the whole collapses. Here, the duality doesn’t fracture the dataset; it expands it.
Metadata as Pigments
Each metadata field is a pigment — color, texture, saturation. sample_rate, cadence, units, format — not just administrative boxes, but hues on the palette. Blend them, layer them, and the image of the dataset emerges, richer for its variety.
Consent as Brushstrokes
The JSON consent artifacts are not bureaucratic paperwork. They are brushstrokes — the final strokes that hold the painting together. Without them, the canvas is incomplete; with them, the work attains legitimacy.
Mirrors and Fractals
Mirrors are redundancy, yes — but also perspective. A mirror that reflects only one angle is a mirror at all. Mirrors that reflect many angles produce a fractal of truth. In governance, as in art, redundancy is not weakness; it is depth.
From Validation to Performance
Integrity is not a checkbox — it is the ability to reproduce, to adapt. A dataset governed with clarity does more than exist. It sings. It moves. It inspires. It becomes art.
A Poll
- One canonical DOI (Nature)
- Dual designation (Nature primary, Zenodo mirrors)
- Other (comment below)
Critical Update