Expressions of Intent for International Polar Year 2007-2008 Activities

Expression of Interest Details

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

Arctic Peoples’ Observations Center  (APOC)

Outline
In the last decade of Arctic environmental research, there has been a notable surge in projects that document the observations and knowledge of arctic peoples and more of these projects will be proposed for IPY and beyond. Yet, little effort has been made to archive and manage the information these projects have collected. With indigenous knowledge (IK)* such a quickly growing field in the Arctic, steps must be taken soon to ensure that projects are complementary and that research results are preserved, for the sake of sound research and arctic peoples themselves. The World Data Center for Glaciology (WDC) in Boulder, Colorado, proposes to develop and host the Arctic Peoples’ Observations Center (APOC) as an IPY activity. We envision APOC as a central data portal, networking service, and resource center related to the knowledge of arctic peoples. APOC will have a strong emphasis on serving indigenous knowledge projects and arctic communities by developing new management systems for data in non-numerical formats such as video, audio, maps, artwork, photographs, and context-specific data such as interviews and recorded stories. APOC would also handle numerical data related to arctic communities such as demographic information, harvest data, GPS data and survey data. APOC will design data management systems that will respect the unique sensitivities and protections needed in IK projects, while still allowing for broad searches for information.Specific activities of APOC will include: • Providing a searchable, web-based portal to all projects and networks around the world that document the knowledge and observations of arctic peoples, beginning with IPY projects. • Providing a place to house indigenous knowledge and observations that can be searched and accessed by the community of users (researchers, students, communities, decision-makers, etc.) while assuring protection of sensitive data. • Collaborating with, and supporting, existing research projects, knowledge networks, archiving organizations, heritage societies, arctic communities, and observation networks, and provide links to their resources. • Working with researchers and arctic peoples to develop new approaches, methods and technologies in the collection and management of context-specific and non-numerical data. • Providing a central place to find statistics related to arctic peoples and communities by improving access to existing numerical data (demographic, social, harvest, economic, etc.). • Developing a web-based system to facilitate the comparison of information across data and sources, including data management tools that will allow for comparison of non-numerical data such as map or audio search engines and analyzers. • Working closely with the WDC to link indigenous and scientific observations, producing integrated data products such as maps and CD-ROMS. • Working with IPY, arctic communities and international researchers to develop best practices in the collection and management of indigenous knowledge and observations. • Actively raising awareness about the knowledge of arctic peoples and their contribution to the IPY mission and legacy. • Developing online communication and networking tools to link researchers, students and arctic communities.(*To clarify, APOC will include the knowledge of all arctic peoples, whether or not they are of aboriginal descent. Here, IK is meant to include the knowledge of all arctic peoples).

What significant advance(s) in relation to the IPY themes and targets can be anticipated from this project?
By creating a central portal from which to access projects, personnel and data related to indigenous knowledge projects, APOC broadens the base of information related to the state of the Arctic (themes 1 and 6). Indigenous knowledge is itself a new frontier in terms of its potential for contributing to science, for example, illuminating new environmental processes, linkages, and mechanisms for change (themes 2, 3 and 4). Indeed, the close relationship of arctic peoples to the land, ocean and sea ice make them ideal observers and monitors of variability and change (theme 5). APOC’s focus on developing new tools for managing the unique qualities of indigenous knowledge will also push the boundaries of new frontiers in data management (theme 4).

What international collaboration is involved in this project?
Key international project members (listed below in 4.2) will help APOC contact research and community projects in their respective countries. We also have agreements in principle for cooperation from the existing organizations/networks Nasivvik (Canada), Snowchange (Finland), Inuit Circumpolar Conference (Canada and Greenland), Inuit Tapariit Kanatami (Canada), and the Nunavut Research Institute (Canada). We will be seeking to collaborate with a number of additional international networks such as the Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North (Russia), the Alaska Native Knowledge Network (U.S.), the World Association of Reindeer Herders and other community initiatives.

FIELD ACTIVITY DETAILS

Geographical location(s) for the proposed field activities:
No field work

Approximate timeframe(s) for proposed field activities:
Arctic: n/a
Antarctic: n/a

Significant facilities will be required for this project:
APOC will provide centralized data infrastructure including a web server, data storage (online or CD-ROM) and a database system. All APOC projects would have access to storage and data management services. The core of the APOC infrastructure would build on that already in existence at WDC and these resources could be shared with the proposed IPY Data Information Service (DIS) by WDC. In addition, APOC would bring together networks between existing data systems.

Will the project leave a legacy of infrastructure?
One of the most important legacies of IPY will be the data collected. APOC will ensure that indigenous knowledge, a new and rapidly growing field in arctic research, will be handled with the respect and creativity it requires. Working closely with researchers and indigenous partners, APOC will take on the challenge of developing new protocols so that this information is stored and available in useful ways to scientists, governments, students, and arctic communities alike. APOC will create a lasting system for managing data and information, supporting further efforts stemming from IPY and supporting new researchers and students. The intent of creating such a system is to stimulate continued work on indigenous environmental observations, realized through the creation of a supporting infrastructure for data management. When communities and researchers can be assured that their efforts will result in lasting, well-managed data sets, the value of their efforts will be greatly enhanced. By addressing this challenge, APOC will make a valuable, long-term contribution to Arctic research.

How is it envisaged that the required logistic support will be secured?

Has the project been "endorsed" at a national or international level?
This expression of intent is in the process of being considered by the US National Committee for IPY.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND STRUCTURE

Is the project a short-term expansion (over the IPY 2007-2008 timeframe) of an existing plan, programme or initiative or is it a new autonomous proposal?


APOC will be part of, and compliment, activities of the proposed IPY DIS. It will be a strong component of the main data management efforts of IPY since it will specifically target issues around the management of social science data, non-numerical data and indigenous knowledge. The specific activities of APOC comprise a new effort, but it is an important element of planned WDC activities.

How will the project be organised and managed?
APOC will have a steering committee made up of researchers, indigenous partners and data managers. Their expertise will help shape APOC activities and policies. The steering committee will be responsible for efforts to address the main challenges of setting up the data system: how to deal with non-numerical data, how to ensure adequate protection of information, how to apply a system that is beneficial to researchers and communities, what recommendations can help researchers collect comparable data, etc.A project director will be responsible for the management of APOC. This person will be a data manager who can ensure equitable access to any information. The director will work closely with the steering committee, IPY Programme Office, IPY Data Committee, IPY DIS, and other positions within APOC.With guidance from the steering committee, several data coordinators will identify and organize relevant data, establish links to other data sources and assist in data management. Web programmers will in turn ensure that the information is accessible online.

What are the initial plans of the project for addressing the education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
Education: APOC will make information available via the web to communities, researchers, students, decision-makers, etc. APOC will act as a valuable resource for teachers in and outside of the North and for graduate students and other researchers launching new studies involving community research and indigenous knowledge.Outreach: Working closely with indigenous partners and communities, the resources (web-based and otherwise) of APOC will be developed with an emphasis on creating formats that are user-friendly from the local point of view. APOC will be sensitive to the access needs of all arctic peoples around the North and work with them to identify and produce information systems and resources that are useful for them.Communication: Our strategy will depend somewhat on the information that comes into APOC, but we will consider ways to publicize what is available at APOC, as well as the results of projects and comparisons using our system.

What are the initial plans of the project to address data management issues (as outlined in the Framework document?
The purpose of APOC is to manage data from social science and indigenous knowledge projects for the IPY.

How is it proposed to fund the project?
We will seek initial funding from U.S. funding agencies such as the National Science Foundation, Social Sciences Research Council and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. We expect that other national funding agencies will support work in other Arctic countries.

Is there additional information you wish to provide?
The nature of Arctic research is changing. Local people in the North are taking more interest in, and control of, research being done in (and near) their communities. Researchers and funding agencies are beginning to respond with more emphasis being placed on collaborative research and increasing support for the documentation and integration of local observations. However, little has been done to coordinate indigenous knowledge projects or the information they have collected. APOC seeks to fill this gap. In addition, APOC seeks to takes on the challenge of archiving and managing the unique, context-specific information that is the product of indigenous knowledge studies.We anticipate that APOC will be of great interest to many groups including social science researchers, physical science researchers, funding agencies, indigenous peoples’ organizations, northern governments and arctic schools and communities. The information, services and products APOC proposes will benefit all these diverse users.

PROPOSER DETAILS

Dr. Shari Fox Gearheard
Harvard University
26 Oxford Street
Cambridge, MA
2138
USA

Tel: (867) 924 6555
Mobile: no
Fax: no
Email:

Other project members and their affiliation