API development

Software Sustainability Institute:

Rules of engagement should enforce open APIs and interchange standards that allows a thriving ecosystem of infrastructure (to support FAIR, and to support general researcher use of EOSC). Whilst building capabilities in existing e-Infrastructures is welcomed, this should not be a way to lock-in users either through omission or plan.

We do not agree that the API contraint stifles innovation and we do not agree that the API contraint should be relaxed for early entrants into the EOSC.

Regarding the APIs and, more generally, the topic of exposure and access of data between automated systems, the “1st Report of the EOSC project on Data Interoperability” underlines the need for a balance between the multiplicity of solutions found in the context (pag 22: DCAT, OAI-PMH, RDF, Open Geospatial Consortium, RESTful API) and the opportunity to indicate a shared methodology (p 14: produce a set of guidelines and a data interoperability architecture proposal).

Rules and requirements around Application Programming Interface (API) access and information assurance, particularly liability for data breach, might restrict the participation of a certain type of entity in the EOSC due to the costs associated with API development, identity and access management or security audit. One option is to phase-in certain parts of the eligibility criteria, to enable changes to take place as part of a normal system development life cycle, or to provide funding for conversion of certain high value assets to more scalable infrastructures.