BoF Session at RDA Virtual Plenary 17 on Canonical Workflow Framework for Research (CWFR): 21.4 from 11.00 to 12.30 CET ------------------------------------------------------------------------ **Primary Date/Time: 21.4 from 11.00 to 12.30 CET (10.00 – 11.30 UTC) Repeated Date/Time: 23.4 from 6.00 to 7.30 CET (5.00 – 630 UTC)** The CWFR (Canonical Workflow Frameworks for Research) initiative is motivated by deep gaps which we found between technological possibilities and principles on the one hand and data practices on the other hand. Deep insights in about 70 research projects led us observe two major paradoxes: (1) Researchers are aware of the FAIR principles, but do are not ready to change practices in the data labs substantially. For making data FAIR they like to defer to the end phase of a data-driven project when a publication is being submitted which reduces the amount of FAIR data to a very small fraction of what has been generated. (2) Having analysed the processes in data creation, managing, and processing across disciplines one can observe recurring patterns of work steps. Despite much effort to create technical workflow frameworks during the last decades, these are not as widely used in the data labs as might be expected. These paradoxes were the reason to start the CWFR initiative: a) it is about the need to bring workflow technology closer to the reality in the data labs and b) to immediately include FAIR Digital Objects to make data FAIR by design, i.e. from its creation on. Scientifically motivated workflows empowered by FAIR Digital Objects could help the researcher in his/her daily work, making many steps more efficient by using automated workflow methods that would immediately create FAIR compliant data without bothering the researcher with details. Therefore, CWFR does not want to replace existing and evolving workflow technologies, but to build on top of them offering libraries of components ready to be used and basing these on FAIR Digital Objects as the integrative standard. CWFR already organised a few meetings and is working on a special issue on CWFR of the Data Intelligence Journal. All is documented on CWFR’s website: https://osf.io/2cy86/ The BoF session will be an interactive working session in which we aim at addressing questions such as: a) Whether the CWFR concept is already clearly enough specified? b) What has already been done and should be reused? c) How FAIR Digital Objects need to be structured to act as the integrative standard? d) Which further steps need to be taken? The following agenda is suggested: • Welcome and Short introduction of CWFR (20 min) • Some short presentations will be given to highlight implementations close to the CWFR concept (30 min) • An open discussion about CWFR and the presented implementations (30 min) • Discussion of further steps and Summary (10 min) CWFR is currently co-chaired by Alex Hardisty, Margareta Hellström, Limor Peer, Peter Wittenburg Questions can be sent to: peter.wittenburg@mpcdf.mpg.de