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Antarctic Data Management, SCAR Questionnaire
SCAR Circular 740
| To |
SCAR Executive Committee |
From: |
SCAR Secretariat |
For several years SCAR and COMNAP have been jointly addressing the availability and exchange of Antarctic scientific data. For various reasons, this has not been as successful as was originally envisaged. The technology available to achieve these aims has evolved considerably during the last few years and it is now timely to re-assess the situation. You are kindly asked to complete the attached questionnaire as fully as possible so that the views of the scientific community may be assessed. A paper will then be presented at XXVI SCAR and COMNAP XII in Tokyo, Japan, during July 2000 and decisions taken on the future of Antarctic data management.
Your help in furthering this process will be much appreciated.
Details of the person completing this form
Your name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Your address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Your e-mail address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Your organization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Your position in SCAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Are you completing this questionnaire in your personal capacity? YES 0 NO 0
Are you completing this questionnaire on behalf of your organization? YES 0 NO 0
This questionnaire is designed to solicit only YES or NO answers; there is deliberately no opportunity to answer MAYBE. Please mark with a cross "X" the box that is closer to your opinion. This will provide a generalized balance of opinion. Where a question asks for examples or further details, please add these on a separate sheet.
Please feel free to copy the questionnaire to your Antarctic colleagues and encourage them to complete it and return it. This will help to ensure a wider survey of the community. All replies must be received at the SCAR Secretariat by 1 April 2000 to be included in the analysis.
SCAR Antarctic Data Management Questionnaire
Article III (1) (c) of the Antarctic Treaty calls on Parties to exchange and make freely available scientific observations and results from Antarctica. In conjunction with subsequent ATCM recommendations this has provided the political context within which SCAR and COMNAP have been working to improve access to information about Antarctic data sets. So far, SCAR and COMNAP have supported the concept that, until it was known what data sets existed, it would be very difficult to work towards improving access to the data sets themselves.
Therefore, SCAR and COMNAP have sponsored the development of the Antarctic Data Directory System (ADDS) comprising a network of National Antarctic Data Centres (NADCs) providing information about Antarctic data sets to the Antarctic Master Directory (AMD). This information about data sets is known as metadata, or data about data. Openly sharing information about Antarctic data sets via the AMD does not imply that the data themselves will be freely available. Development of data access policies is the responsibility of funding agencies, research institutions and/or scientific programmes.
Question 1: Do you consider that sharing information about Antarctic data sets (metadata) is of use to:-
1.1: You - as a scientist or programme manager?
YES 0 NO 0
1.2: The scientific community within which you work or are involved?
YES 0 NO 0
1.3: The wider scientific community, including scientists not directly involved in Antarctic research?
YES 0 NO 0
1.4: Do you think this sharing of information about Antarctic data sets is of use to any other individuals
and/or communities &endash; if yes, please give further details?
YES 0 NO 0
Question 2: If you support the concept of sharing of information about Antarctic data sets, whom do you
think are the right organisations to be developing this activity?
2.1: SCAR &endash; as representing the scientific community?
YES 0 NO 0
2.2: COMNAP &endash; as representing the science/logistics funding agencies?
YES 0 NO 0
2.3: National operators &endash; as funders of logistics?
YES 0 NO 0
2.4: National science agencies &endash; as funders of science programmes?
YES 0 NO 0
2.5: Other organisations &endash; if yes, please give further details?
YES 0 NO 0
Question 3: If you support the concept of sharing of information about Antarctic data sets, is a directory of data sets
the best way to do this?
3.1: Do you consider that directories of information about data sets are a good idea?
YES 0 NO 0
3.2: Are there other ways of sharing information about data sets that you think are better - if yes, please give examples?
YES 0 NO 0
3.3: Is an Antarctic-specific data directory of use to you?
YES 0 NO 0
3.4: Would a bi-polar directory, containing information about both Antarctic and Arctic data sets be more useful?
YES 0 NO 0
3.5: Would directories focusing on individual subject areas, but without a specific Antarctic (or polar) focus, be
more appropriate &endash; if yes, please give examples?
YES 0 NO 0
Question 4: If you support the concept of sharing of information about Antarctic data sets, do you think that the
ADDS being developed by SCAR and COMNAP is the best way to do this? Should there be:-
4.1: a network of NADCs collecting data set information at a national level?
YES 0 NO 0
4.2: project specific activities, for example, individual SCAR Working Groups collecting data set information, at the
project level?
YES 0 NO 0
4.3: an AMD providing a central repository of information about Antarctic data sets, based on the data set information
collected by NADCs?
YES 0 NO 0
4.4: a distributed data directory, where the directories of individual NADCs could be directly queried as a whole over
the web? A distributed directory would replace the centralised AMD.
YES 0 NO 0
Question 5: Does your own discipline or field of interest require the facilities that the AMD can supply?
5.1: Is there an existing data directory relevant to your field of interest in Antarctica?
YES 0 NO 0
5.2: Do you contribute to this existing directory?
YES 0 NO 0
5.3: Do you use this existing directory?
YES 0 NO 0
5.4: Do you consider that your own discipline or field of interest is adequately served by existing data directories?
YES 0 NO 0
Question 6: How much support would you give to the ADDS?
6.1: Would you support your NADC by providing information on your data sets?
YES 0 NO 0
6.2: Would your organisation support your NADC by encouraging scientists to provide data set information?
YES 0 NO 0
6.3: Would your organisation support your NADC by requiring scientists to provide data set information?
YES 0 NO 0
6.4: Would you use data set information from the AMD?
YES 0 NO 0
6.5: Would others in your organisation use data set information from the AMD?
YES 0 NO 0
6.6: Would your organisation encourage scientists to use data set information from the AMD?
YES 0 NO 0
6.7: Do you or your organisation use data set information from other data directory systems, for example,
the NASA Global Change Master Directory &endash; if yes, please give details of data directories used?
YES 0 NO 0
Question 7: How should the AMD be funded?
7.1: Would your organisation be prepared to contribute funds towards maintaining the AMD if all Antarctic countries
paid an equal share?
YES 0 NO 0
7.2: Would your organisation be prepared to contribute funds towards maintaining the AMD if all Antarctic countries
paid in relation to their current levels of annual contributions to SCAR?
YES 0 NO 0
7.3: Should National Operators contribute funds towards maintaining the AMD?
YES 0 NO 0
7.4: Should National Committees contribute funds towards maintaining the AMD?
YES 0 NO 0
Thank you for completing this questionnaire.
Please return it, together with any additional sheets, to:
SCAR Secretariat
Scott Polar Research Institute
Lensfield Road
Cambridge CB2 1ER
United Kingdom
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