CA3 Dataset Principles

    Individuals proofreading in the CA3 Dataset agree that they cannot submit for publication reconstructions or analysis from the dataset until September 1, 2025 or the first preprint or publication describing the dataset from Sebastian Seung and David Tank lab, whichever comes earliest. When the publication embargo period ends, each lab must follow scientific community standards for authorship. Anyone who uses (has access to) the CA3 data prior to the end of the embargo date must agree to offer authorships to Zhihao Zheng, Sebastian Seung, and David Tank on any resulting publications when the embargo period ends.
    
    The principles below describe how to approach usage of CA3 data that are not part of a public release yet or that was used before the data was made public.
    
    Openness. All results of proofreading and annotations are immediately available to all members of the CA3 community. All neuroscience researchers are welcome to apply.
    
    Fairness. Before using previously unpublished reconstructions in a presentation or scientific publication, users must obtain agreement from every lab that identified those cells or contributed more than 20% of the edits on those reconstructions, or assessed them to be adequately complete according to community standards. This applies to CA3 cells themselves and also to the use of CA3 data for any purpose. (For example, this applies to cells reconstructed in other EM software platforms using CA3 data for guidance.) When contacting users to seek their agreement for the use of cells they contributed to, a lack of response within one month may be taken as agreement. Contributors may request co-authorship or acknowledgments, with the understanding that a few hours or days of work may not constitute authorship, but that many days or months of work most likely would. In addition, it is important for the advancement of science that contributors not block publication for others - if a block to publication is requested, an appeal can be raised with the advisory board, who will consider factors such as research interests and relative contributions of the labs involved. Early and active collaboration between users is encouraged to prevent disputes.
    
    To publish neurons from the CA3 dataset, a member lab must submit a list by emailing zhihaoz@princeton.edu or through a planned online submission system, and then must make that list available in the paper. The list should include segment IDs plus coordinates of a point in each nucleus, or if no nucleus is present, a point in a main branch. Once CA3 cells are published, they are available for free use with appropriate citations, without soliciting the agreement of CA3 data users who contributed to the published versions of those neurons. (If a neuron is edited after publication, the use of its post-publication edited version is subject to the agreement of contributors as described for unpublished neurons above.)
    
    Communication. Labs are encouraged to communicate with each other early in a project through chat, email, and other channels. Coordination of reconstruction and analysis activities will increase the pace of discovery. Members may not share information with any individual who has not been granted access or agreed to these Principles. All active members and their PIs must sign onto the xxxxx Forum frequently to check for announcements and collaborative communications from other members.
    
    Mutual respect. We should all respect each others’ efforts to achieve the common goal of understanding the brain. Mutual respect fosters a win-win situation, and generates synergy that lifts everybody up.