The Global Association for Research Methods and Data Science (GRMDS) launched a new ecosystem platform this week to empower big data and artificial intelligence (AI) researchers worldwide.

The platform aims to help researchers solve problems in data science through the application of methodologies developed by the GRMDS, a leading non-profit organization in data science.

Such methods include Research Methods Four Elements (RM4Es), namely Equation, Estimation, Evaluation of Models and Execution/Explanation, as well as ResearchMap, which maps out the necessary procedure for research projects.

A high rate of project failure faces data scientists due to several reasons, such as mismanagement or lack of coordination, low supply of competent data scientists, lack of appropriate practical training, not enough data, low data maturity and replication crisis, said Alex Liu, GRMDS managing director and chief data scientist for IBM in an interview with Xinhua on Saturday.

The ecosystem platform aims to address these challenges, and empower the public to better apply AI technologies in such areas as countering extreme climate and responding to natural disasters, according to Liu.

"Our ideal ecosystem consists of at least three elements: data portal, computing platform, and data scientist community, which users can join for free and get access to all our events and other resources," Liu said.

The platform will evaluate each user's social and economic impacts by its unique Impact Score, according to the GRMDS.

The GRMDS helps researchers and data scientists worldwide to excel in a new era of big data and cognitive computing. More than 32,000 users worldwide have joined an online forum of the GRMDS to discuss research methodology, data science and innovations.