SETTING STANDARDS FOR THE PUBLICATION OF VIRTUAL FOSSILS

The increasing availability of techniques for non-destructive three-dimensional imaging of fossils offers an exciting opportunity to facilitate global access to specimens for research and teaching. However, in some cases these virtual fossils can be harder to access than physical museum specimens; data are available from authors on request or not at all. In part, these access restrictions stem from a lack of consensus over the types of data that should be made available alongside publications based on virtual fossils. Moreover, there is concern over where to deposit such data to ensure long-term storage and access. Lastly, there is widespread confusion over issues of data ownership and copyright. Here, we put forward a set of recommendations for minimum standards and best practice for the publication of virtual fossils. We also review fundamental issues surrounding data storage, accessibility and ownership.