Expressions of Intent for International Polar Year 2007-2008 Activities

Expression of Interest Details

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

International Polar Year (IPY) Data and Information Service (DIS) for Distributed Data Management  (IPY DIS)

Outline
The WDC for Glaciology, Boulder, in collaboration with others proposes to host the IPY DIS described in the Framework Document produced by the IPY Planning Group. This proposal meets all the required IPY criteria and several additional criteria as presented below.The DIS will work closely with the Data Policy and Management Sub-Committee (Data Committee) and other data management bodies and observing networks to develop the IPY data and information policy and strategy. The DIS will then be the primary implementer of that strategy and policy recognizing that the strategy will need to evolve with the science needs and developments of IPY.Although much will depend on the strategy that is developed, we envision the DIS as an overall data management consultant and coordinator and a central data portal for an internationally distributed data management system. The DIS would establish close partnerships with data centers and organizations around the world to build on existing systems. IPY data would be archived at centers around the world and coordinated by regional or discipline-specific “affinity centers”.Specific activities of the DIS could include:· Our experienced people will provide responsive service to the IPY research community regarding data management.· We will collect catalog metadata for all IPY projects and provide a Web-based portal to all IPY 2007-2008 data archived around the world.· We will examine current data discovery tools and data presentation schemes to identify and use relevant components, and will create appropriate additions such as an interoperable web-based map server to enhance data access through the Web portal. · We will identify existing tools that make data management easy and, and build on those to meet the needs of the IPY community. For example, the Global Change Master Directory’s (GCMD) metadata authoring tool, docBuilder, could be customized.· We will serve as a focal point for cross-disciplinary data integration, especially across the natural and social sciences.· We will work to create appropriate management tools for non-numerical data such as interview transcripts, photographs, and videotapes.· We will proactively make data management best practices and principles available to researchers and agencies, via Web pages, workshops, and other channels.· As a primary point of contact to the IPY Data Committee, the Electronic Geophysical Year (eGY), and other organizations, we will be a clearinghouse and facilitator for data management and integration issues that need research, discussion, and resolution.· We will actively raise the IPY community’s awareness of the value of data management for both numerical and non-numerical data.· We will archive IPY data as appropriate to our discipline expertise.The DIS will take advantage of existing data management infrastructures, organizations, and technologies such as National and World Data Centers, the Joint Committee for Antarctic Data Management (JCADM), the GCMD, virtual observatories, and the Global Spatial Data Infrastructure. This distributed system will allow for appropriate management of the various types of data including social science and physical science data, and analog collections. The distributed nature of the system will also encourage development of new and experimental data access methods, including data mining technology and innovative data presentation methods that facilitate data integration. It is essential, however, to ensure ready and equitable access to and effective long-term preservation of the data. The DIS will assist distributed archives in adhering to sound data management principles and best practices as defined by the Data Committee, JCADM, our partners, and other entities, notably the eGY. We will ensure that these principles build upon existing international standards such the Open Archival Information System Reference Model and the ISO19115 metadata standard. The DIS will take advantage of emerging shared resources in the geosciences community, such as the effort to develop an international geophysical sample number (IGSN). In addition, the DIS could assist data providers in addressing human subjects protections and confidentiality issues for social science data and for other types of geo-referenced data.

What significant advance(s) in relation to the IPY themes and targets can be anticipated from this project?
Excellent data management will be necessary to address all the themes of the IPY. The DIS will ensure that data will be well described and accessible (theme 1) and will provide a well-preserved benchmark (theme 2). The DIS will also facilitate the development of new data discovery tools and data presentation schemes, improve interoperability, allow for improved data assimilation into models, and encourage linkages between different types of data such as indigenous knowledge and corresponding scientific observations (theme 4). This will aid the understanding of polar-global linkages (theme 3) and human impacts (theme 6). Finally, data management is an essential component of new observatories (theme 5). The primary focus of the DIS is data management, including long-term stewardship of data collected during IPY.

What international collaboration is involved in this project?
Formal partners are listed in section 4. Yao Tandong of the Institute of (Tibetan) Plateau Research in Beijing, Henry Huntington of Huntington Consulting, the International Arctic Social Sciences Association, Barry Goodison of the WCRP Climate and Cryosphere Project, and Alison Graves representing the ARCUS Arctic Spatial Data Infrastructure are willing collaborators. We have also initiated discussions with the following organizations to act as affinity centers: the WDC Cluster in Germany, WDC for Glaciology in Obnisk, the Australian Antarctic Data Centre, the British Antarctic Survey, and several U.S. National Data Centers.We have begun discussions with the IPY Programme Office, JCADM, the Arctic Observation Network, and other organizations and scientists in various disciplines. Each partner or project participant will bring unique skills and experience in data stewardship or specific scientific disciplines. We anticipate that the EoI process will help us identify organizations to address some of the disciplines we have not yet addressed.

FIELD ACTIVITY DETAILS

Geographical location(s) for the proposed field activities:
This proposal does not directly involve fieldwork, but the DIS could provide data management training for field project data managers. Our experience shows that the early involvement of data managers in field data collection can improve both the quality and usability of the data.

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

Significant facilities will be required for this project:
The DIS will provide a centralized infrastructure including a Web server, data storage, and a metadata database system that will allow users to locate and acquire data of interest. These resources will be shared across many IPY projects. Support for the WDC Information Center might also be included.

Will the project leave a legacy of infrastructure?
One of the most significant legacies of the IPY will be the data collected. The DIS will ensure that the data and appropriate tools are well preserved and usable now and in the future. The DIS will also provide a long-term infrastructure for data management and access, in conjunction with the World Data Center system and other institutions.Building on existing infrastructure and working with numerous agencies will result in a legacy of collaborations and a new paradigm for data and information management which can serve as a springboard for new and emerging technologies and ideas.

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.We have received endorsement or encouragement from the International Permafrost Association, WCRP CliC, and SCAR/COMNAP JCADM.

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?
yes

This project will complement the missions of existing data management entities including World and National Data Centers, Virtual Observatories, and metadata clearinghouses such as the GCMD. However, the specific activity of the DIS and data management for specific IPY projects is a new effort.

How will the project be organised and managed?
A director will be responsible for the overall management of the DIS. The Director will liaise with the IPY Programme Office, the Data Committee, eGY, data system partners, and other national and international organizations, and will provide the overall data management consulting service, including disseminating best practices, conducting workshops, etc.Several data coordinators will identify, collect, and organize relevant data and metadata, and will assist with general data management and consulting activities. In collaboration with our partners, we will likely build on the JCADM distributed data model, where individual contributions are valued but quality-controlled through coordinators representing specialties within their organizationsA Web designer and programmer will develop and manage the data access portal and the overall Web site. A technical writer will develop data set documentation, and user services personnel will support user requests and inquiries. Finally, archive specialists will ingest, archive, and distribute the data held at the DIS.Closely associated with the DIS will be a number of regional or discipline-specific data management centers that will help coordinate data management activities within their region or for a specific discipline (e.g., social science).

What are the initial plans of the project for addressing the education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
We will actively promote the value of data management, appealing in plain terms to the needs of researchers and scientists as the foundation for data management efforts. This will include online documents, presentations at science meetings, and hosting of regional workshops for project data managers. We will also engage university students and teaching initiatives to train the next generation of scientists in the principles of scientific data management.

What are the initial plans of the project to address data management issues (as outlined in the Framework document?
The DIS will be the data management focal point for IPY. The DIS will work closely with the IPY Data Committee in establishing an operational data structure that will meet the scientific goals of the IPY. In addition, the DIS can support the Data Committee in a review capacity to ensure that project proposals have adequately addressed IPY data management needs.

How is it proposed to fund the project?
We are requesting support from several US Federal science agencies, principally the National Science Foundation, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. In addition, we are pursuing foundation support for long term archiving. We anticipate regional centers will receive primary funding from local sources.

Is there additional information you wish to provide?
The WDC of Glaciology, Boulder, is well prepared to take on the ongoing challenges of IPY data management. The WDC has a long and adaptive history in data management as a legacy of its origin managing data for IGY and through association with the U.S. National Snow and Ice Data Center. We are actively involved with many international programmes and have engaged a strong core of international partners with extensive and diverse scientific and data management expertise. Together and individually, we have broad experience managing data from many disciplines, from small in-situ collections to large, ongoing, remote-sensing time series. We directly support field experiments, social science studies, international observing programs, satellite missions, and satellite validation studies. WDC Boulder is also developing an Arctic Peoples Observations Center.We propose to bring our experience, flexible mindset, long-term thinking, and knowledge of data management principles to serve the IPY global research community. However, we know that data management issues are not neatly solved, and we are prepared to engage in research and dialogue to identify improvements in data management techniques. Most importantly, we are committed to working with and serving people. We take pains to understand researchers, their sciences, their projects, and their needs, as well as to respect their time, opinions, and priorities.

PROPOSER DETAILS

Dr. Mark Parsons
University of Colorado
UCB 449
Boulder, CO
80309
USA

Tel: +1 303 492 2359
Mobile: no
Fax: +1 303 492 2468
Email:

Other project members and their affiliation