I-wrf: Create Zenodo Record And DOI
In the dynamic world of scientific research and software development, ensuring that your work is easily accessible, citable, and discoverable is paramount. This is especially true for complex scientific models like the NCAR/i-wrf (Integrated Weather Research and Forecasting) system. To that end, a crucial step has been taken: the creation of a Zenodo record for i-wrf releases, complete with a Digital Object Identifier (DOI). This initiative, stemming from discussions during the I-WRF Engineering meeting on December 5, 2025, aims to significantly boost the visibility and usability of the i-wrf model for the broader scientific community.
Understanding the Importance of Zenodo and DOIs for Scientific Software
Zenodo is an open-access repository developed under the European OpenAIRE program, aiming to boost science and innovation by allowing researchers to deposit (metadata, associated research files, etc.) in any form. It is widely recognized and trusted within the academic sphere, providing a stable platform for long-term preservation and dissemination of research outputs. When you deposit your software, data, or publications on Zenodo, it is assigned a DOI. A DOI is a persistent identifier that acts like a permanent web link to your digital object. Unlike a regular URL that can change or break, a DOI is designed to remain stable over time, ensuring that your work can always be found, even if the original hosting location changes. This persistence is critical for academic citation and tracking the impact of research.
For scientific software like i-wrf, having a Zenodo record with a DOI offers several key advantages. Firstly, it provides a citable artifact. Researchers can now cite the specific version of i-wrf they used in their studies, just as they would cite a journal article. This improves the reproducibility of research, allowing others to replicate experiments using the exact same software version. Secondly, it enhances discoverability. Zenodo's indexed nature means that i-wrf releases become more visible to researchers searching for relevant modeling tools. This can lead to wider adoption and collaboration. Thirdly, it ensures long-term preservation. Software can become obsolete or inaccessible if not maintained. Zenodo provides a robust archival solution, ensuring that valuable scientific tools like i-wrf remain available for future generations of researchers. Finally, it facilitates impact tracking. The DOIs assigned by Zenodo can be linked to usage statistics and citation counts, providing valuable insights into how widely i-wrf is being used and influencing scientific research.
This particular effort, focused on the NCAR/i-wrf project, is a testament to the project's commitment to open science principles and the advancement of atmospheric research. By making i-wrf releases readily available and citable through Zenodo, the NCAR team is empowering the scientific community to leverage this powerful modeling system more effectively, fostering innovation and accelerating progress in weather and climate research. The process involves not just technical steps but also a collaborative effort to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the metadata associated with each release.
The Process: Connecting GitHub and Zenodo for i-wrf Releases
The journey to establish a Zenodo record for NCAR/i-wrf involves a series of well-defined steps, ensuring a smooth and accurate integration. The initial phase focuses on establishing the necessary technical connections between the project's GitHub repository and the Zenodo platform. This begins with confirming that personal GitHub and Zenodo accounts are linked. This connection is fundamental for granting Zenodo the necessary permissions to access repository information and create records automatically or semi-automatically. Following these instructions ensures that the underlying infrastructure is correctly configured, paving the way for the automated deposit of future i-wrf releases.
The next critical step is to formally connect the NCAR/i-wrf GitHub repository to Zenodo. This involves enabling Zenodo's repository integration for the specific i-wrf repository. Once enabled, Zenodo can monitor the repository for new releases or commits, depending on the configuration. This automation significantly reduces the manual effort required for each software release, ensuring consistency and timeliness. After the technical connections are established, a vital phase of metadata refinement begins. This is where collaboration is key. The team, including specific individuals like @jaredalee and @georgemccabe, will work together to meticulously review and update the metadata associated with the Zenodo record. Accurate metadata is crucial for discoverability and proper citation. It includes details such as the software's title, authors, abstract, keywords, license, and version information. Ensuring that this information is precise and comprehensive allows other researchers to quickly understand the software's purpose, capabilities, and applicability to their work.
Finally, to further integrate the Zenodo record into the project's development workflow and make its availability known, a Zenodo badge will be added to the README file of the NCAR/i-wrf GitHub repository. This badge serves as a visual indicator, immediately informing visitors that the project has a persistent, citable DOI available. Clicking on this badge will typically lead directly to the Zenodo record for the latest release, providing easy access for citation and download. This entire process, while seemingly detailed, is designed to be efficient, with an estimated time investment of approximately two hours for completion. The funding for this initiative comes directly from the NCAR I-WRF Project, underscoring its strategic importance for the project's outreach and impact.
Detailed Task Breakdown and Implementation Strategy
To ensure the successful creation and maintenance of the Zenodo record for NCAR/i-wrf, a structured approach is essential. The process begins with a clear definition of the task itself, including an estimation of the time required and the identification of the funding source. This foundational step, as outlined in the task description, sets the stage for the subsequent technical and collaborative actions. The estimated time of 2 hours suggests a focused effort, likely encompassing the configuration and initial metadata setup.
The core of the task involves a series of checklist items that guide the implementation. Firstly, there's the technical setup: confirming the linkage between GitHub and Zenodo accounts and enabling the Zenodo repository integration for NCAR/i-wrf. These are prerequisites for the automated deposit of releases. Following this, the critical phase of metadata iteration takes place. This involves close collaboration with designated individuals, such as @jaredalee and @georgemccabe, to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information presented on the Zenodo record. This includes details like the software's abstract, authors, keywords, and license, which are vital for discoverability and proper citation. The accuracy of this metadata directly impacts how easily other researchers can find, understand, and use the i-wrf model.
Concurrently, the project's documentation will be updated by adding a Zenodo badge to the README file. This badge serves as a prominent and easily accessible link to the Zenodo record, immediately signaling to users that a citable and persistent version of the software is available. This integration enhances the project's transparency and commitment to open science practices. The task is also framed within a standard software development workflow, suggesting the use of a separate branch (e.g., feature_<Issue Number>_<Description>) for implementing these changes. This ensures that the main development branch remains stable while the Zenodo integration is prepared and tested.
Furthermore, the checklist emphasizes best practices such as adding or updating log messages for easier debugging, and crucially, adding or updating unit tests and documentation. While the direct creation of the Zenodo record might not require new code tests, ensuring the codebase is robust and well-documented is a standard expectation for any software release. Once the changes are ready, they are pushed to GitHub and submitted as a pull request to the develop branch. The pull request itself will also have specific metadata, including the selection of appropriate reviewers and the assignment to relevant development projects and milestones, such as the next official version or future releases. The iterative process of review, feedback, and refinement continues until the changes are accepted and merged. Finally, after successful integration, the development branch is deleted, and the issue is closed, signifying the completion of this important task.
Looking Ahead: Future Versions and Continuous Improvement
The establishment of a Zenodo record and DOI for NCAR/i-wrf is not a one-time event but rather the beginning of a continuous process of ensuring that every official release of the i-wrf model is properly archived, discoverable, and citable. This proactive approach to software management is essential for maintaining the integrity and impact of the i-wrf system within the scientific community. As new versions of i-wrf are developed and prepared for release, the workflow for creating and updating the Zenodo record will become a standard part of the release cycle. This ensures that researchers always have access to the latest stable and documented versions of the model, along with their associated persistent identifiers.
The commitment to updating the Zenodo record with each new release also implies a dedication to maintaining high-quality metadata. This means that as the i-wrf model evolves, so too will the descriptions of its capabilities, limitations, and intended uses within the Zenodo repository. This iterative refinement of metadata, in collaboration with key personnel like @jaredalee and @georgemccabe, will guarantee that the Zenodo record remains an accurate and valuable resource for users. The addition of the Zenodo badge on the README file will continue to serve as a constant reminder and a direct gateway to these archived versions, reinforcing the project's commitment to open science and accessibility.
Furthermore, this process lays the groundwork for potentially more advanced integrations in the future. For instance, one could explore linking specific datasets generated by i-wrf simulations to their corresponding model releases on Zenodo, creating a more comprehensive and reproducible research package. The infrastructure established through this task allows for such future expansions. The emphasis on testing and documentation within the development checklist also highlights a broader goal: ensuring the continued robustness and usability of the i-wrf model itself. By consistently applying these best practices, the NCAR/i-wrf project not only enhances the discoverability of its software but also contributes to the overall quality and reliability of the modeling tools available to atmospheric scientists worldwide.
The long-term vision is for i-wrf to be a readily accessible and enduring resource, and the Zenodo integration is a pivotal step in achieving this goal. It transforms the software from a mere tool into a persistent, citable, and foundational element of scientific research, fostering a more collaborative and reproducible research ecosystem. The ongoing effort ensures that the impact of i-wrf continues to grow, enabling new discoveries and advancements in weather and climate modeling.
For more information on open science practices and software citation, you can refer to resources from organizations like Software Heritage (https://www.softwareheritage.org/) and the Research Software Alliance (ReSA) (https://researchsoftware.org/).
