  Researchers and scientists use aggregations of data from a diverse
combination of sources, including partners, open data providers and commercial
data suppliers. As the complexity of such data ecosystems increases, and in
turn leads to the generation of new reusable assets, it becomes ever more
difficult to track data usage, and to maintain a clear view on where data in a
system has originated and makes onward contributions. Reliable traceability on
data usage is needed for accountability, both in demonstrating the right to use
data, and having assurance that the data is as it is claimed to be. Society is
demanding more accountability in data-driven and artificial intelligence
systems deployed and used commercially and in the public sector. This paper
introduces the conceptual design of a model for data traceability based on a
Bill of Materials scheme, widely used for supply chain traceability in
manufacturing industries, and presents details of the architecture and
implementation of a gateway built upon the model. Use of the gateway is
illustrated through a case study, which demonstrates how data and artifacts
used in an experiment would be defined and instantiated to achieve the desired
traceability goals, and how blockchain technology can facilitate accurate
recordings of transactions between contributors.
