SCAR XXXIII WP22: Report on SCADM (Standing Committee on Antarctic Data Management) Popular

SCAR XXXIII WP22: Report on SCADM (Standing Committee on Antarctic Data Management)

Executive Summary

Title: Standing Committee on Antarctic Data Management (SCADM)

Authors: Taco De Bruin (Chief Officer), Anton Van de Putte, Robert Arko (Co-Deputy Chief Officers)

Introduction/ Background: The Standing Committee on Antarctic Data Management (SC-ADM) helps facilitate co-operation between scientists and nations with regard to scientific data. It guides the development of the Antarctic Data Directory System and advises SCAR and SCAR-members on data issues. The SCADM Terms of References are:

• Promotion of Antarctic data management
• Providing guidance to the Antarctic Master Directory host
• Establishing Antarctic data management policies and priorities

Important Issues or Factors:

• More National Antarctic Data Centres (NADCs) needed to preserve invaluable Antarctic data
  SCAR has 37 Members and Associate Members. Yet, only some 15 (Associate) Members have established or designated a data centre or a national point of contact for Antarctic data, even though the ATCM called upon nations to establish a National Antarctic Data Centre (NADC) back in 1998. As a result very valuable Antarctic data run the risk of being lost forever. SCADM is working on a targeted approach to include those countries not yet represented in SCADM and to help those countries in developing the required infrastructure for Antarctic data management.
• Encouraging scientists to submit metadata to the Antarctic Master Directory
  The Antarctic Master Directory (AMD) forms the cornerstone of the SCAR Antarctic Data Directory System (ADDS). The AMD is the central directory system containing all Antarctic data set descriptions gathered by NADCs. It is the largest directory of Antarctic data set descriptions in the world and forms the basis for data management and data preservation for SCAR and at the national and Antarctic programme level.

It is important that SCAR projects, national Antarctic programmes and international projects require scientists to submit metadata to the Antarctic Master Directory.

Recommendations/Actions and Justification:

• Delegates from the countries not yet represented in SCADM are kindly requested to help SCADM contact the proper authorities (national Antarctic research programmes, funding agencies, etc.) within their countries or national Antarctic program and to assist in identifying data centres in their respective countries who can take on the role of National Antarctic or Polar Data Centre.
• Delegates are kindly requested to assist SCADM in making submission of metadata to the AMD a requirement for that SCAR projects, national Antarctic programmes and international projects

Expected Benefits/Outcomes: Better preservation of Antarctic data, for future generations of scientists and for society to use.

Partners: SCAGI, WDS, all SCAR SSGs, SCs, EG-ABI (Expert Group on Antarctic Biodiversity Informatics),  etc.

Budget Implications: $5000 a year for SCADM, to organize the annual meetings and to support SCADM members in attending these meetings.