Generating a formal set of collaborative standards for sharing behavioral data and task designs to enable reproducibility in neuroscience

摘要 这个项目的目标是开发一个档案数据格式和一个正式的任务规范 语言作为描述行为实验的标准。因为不同 实验室使用不同的行为系统，硬件和软件，很难 交流行为任务设计，共享数据或复制实验。为了填补这一空白，我们 组建了一个团队，其中包括具有丰富行为经验的神经科学家， 实时形式语言设计的计算机科学专家和科学软件工程师。 为了满足更广泛的社会需求，我们成立了一个大型财团， 实验室，包括提供了大量用例的BRAIN计划受资助者 跨越行为任务的范围。 在目标1中，我们将通过召开一个大型的 实验者联盟为了表示行为数据，我们将创建 NWB：N格式，以便于与其他行为类型一起进行分析。要指定行为 我们将开发一个正式的BEhAvioral任务描述语言（BEADL）， 实时语言设计的最新计算机科学技术。 在目标2中，我们将开发一个用于编辑、执行和可视化的开源软件套件 行为任务软件将把相同的行为解释为硬件的机器代码 控制器或人类的出版物数字。为了确保标准满足 社区，我们将与用户和联盟实验室合作， 发布的任务的电池。 在目标3中，我们将扩大我们的推广范围，以扩大行为任务描述的采用， 数据格式。我们将通过基于网络的教程，黑客马拉松， 并将鼓励提供反馈。一个准备好出版的， 将开发图形BEADL格式，以生成行为任务的摘要图 正式但容易理解

Abstract The goal of this project is to develop an archival data format and a formal task specification language to serve as standards for describing behavioral experiments. Because different laboratories use different behavioral systems, hardware, and software, it has been difficult to communicate behavioral task design, share data, or reproduce experiments. To fill this gap, we have assembled a team that includes neuroscientists with extensive behavioral experience, a computer science expert in real-time formal language design, and scientific software engineers. To meet the needs of the broader community, we have formed a large consortium of laboratories, including BRAIN-initiative grantees that have supplied numerous use cases spanning the range of behavioral tasks. In Aim 1, we will identify requirements for behavioral data formats by convening a large consortium of experimentalists. To represent behavioral data, we will create an extension to the NWB:N format to facilitate analysis alongside other behavior types. To specify behavioral contingencies, we will develop a formal BEhAvioral task Description Language (BEADL) using the latest computer science techniques for real-time language design. In Aim 2, we will develop an open-source software suite for editing, executing and visualizing behavioral tasks. The software will interpret the same behavior into machine code for hardware controllers, or publication figures for humans. To ensure the standards address the needs of the community, we will collaborate with users and consortium labs to implement an extensive battery of published tasks. In Aim 3, we will expand our outreach to broaden adoption of behavioral task description and data formats. We will engage the broader community through web-based tutorials, hackathons, and workshops at major conferences, and will encourage feedback. A publication-ready, graphical BEADL format will be developed to generate summary figures for behavioral tasks that are formal, yet easy to understand.