Recommendation to researchers to record IGSNs when taking samples

Status: 23.5.2025

Researchers, technicians, and others who take or handle samples are best positioned to record IGSNs because they are directly involved in the sampling process and have immediate access to critical contextual information. By recording IGSNs at the time of sampling—and documenting parent IGSNs when creating subsamples—they help ensure that sample provenance is accurately captured and preserved. This reduces the risk of information loss, supports reproducibility, and enables reliable linking of samples to data, publications, and other research outputs. Their active involvement in IGSN registration strengthens the traceability and long-term value of sample-based research.

It is recommended that researchers, technicians, and other people who take samples:

1. record an IGSN when taking a sample.
2. record parent IGSNs when subsampling or splitting physical samples.

- need institutional workflows to register IGSN - needs training for researchers with registration and the appropriat tools and workflows.

Parent: Recommendation to use IGSN as the standard reference in technical infrastructures to samples where appropriate

Dependent: none

Other: none

Emanuel Soeding (lead)

* Please keep the lead author informed about any possible changes in this wiki.

About

History and structure

Current Use of …

Motivation

See the general discussion of advantages and challenges implementing IGSNs in the recommended way.

It is recommended that researchers, technicians, and other people who take samples:

1. record an IGSN when taking a sample.
2. record parent IGSNs when subsampling or splitting physical samples.

There exist tools, which support users in registering IGSNs e.g. in the field or laboratory. RSpace [1] e.g has an integration of a field book tool Fieldmark, with it's electronic lab notebook, which can register IGSNs.

[1] IGSN Registration with RSpace and FieldMark website