Finding the Forest in the Trees

The Challenge of Combining Diverse Environmental Data

Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 9780309050821
eISBN Pdf: 9780309586863
eISBN Epub: 9780309176606
Place of publication: United States
Year of digital publication: 1995
Month: April
Pages: 144
DDC: 577
Language: English

Caption

During the last few decades of the 20th century, the development of an array of technologies has made it possible to observe the Earth, collect large quantities of data related to components and processes of the Earth system, and store, analyze, and retrieve these data at will. Over the past ten years, in particular, the observational, computational, and communications technologies have enabled the scientific community to undertake a broad range of interdisciplinary environmental research and assessment programs. Sound practice in database management are required to deal with the problems of complexity in such programs and a great deal of attention and resources has been devoted to this area in recent years. However, little guidance has been provided on overcoming the barriers frequently encountered in the interfacing of disparate data sets. This book attempts to remedy that problem by providing analytical and functional guidelines to help researchers and technicians to better plan and implement their supporting data management activities.

Finding the Forest in the Trees
Copyright
Preface
Acknowledgments
Contents
Executive Summary
- SUMMARY OF CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
  - Addressing Barriers Deriving from the Data
  - Addressing Barriers Deriving from Users' Needs
  - Addressing Barriers Deriving from Organizational Interactions
  - Addressing Barriers Deriving from System Considerations
- TEN KEYS TO SUCCESS
1 Introduction
- METHODOLOGY OF THE STUDY
- ORGANIZATION OF THE REPORT
- REFERENCES
2 Impact Assessment Project for Drought Early Warning in the Sahel
- VARIABLES MEASURED AND SOURCES OF DATA
- DATA MANAGEMENT AND INTERFACING
  - Timeliness of Data Acquisition
  - Accessibility of Data
  - Data Quality and Verification
  - Data Retention
  - Data Documentation
  - Importance of the Crop Calendar
  - Definition of Users of Crop Modeling Results
  - Creation of New Algorithms and Data Management Procedures
  - Accommodation of Users' Needs for Crop Yield Estimates
  - Interfacing of Disparate Databases
  - Institutional and Political Constraints
- LESSONS LEARNED
- REFERENCES
3 The National Acid Precipitation Assessment Program
- VARIABLES MEASURED AND SOURCES OF DATA FOR THE AQUATIC PROCESSES ANDEFFECTS PORTION OF NAPAP
- MAJOR CONSIDERATIONS IN EVALUATING THE DATA MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIESOF THE AQUATIC PROCESSES AND EFFECT ...
  - Users' Needs
  - Study Design
- DATA MANAGEMENT AND INTERFACING IN THE AQUATIC PROCESSES AND EFFECTSPORTION OF NAPAP
- LESSONS LEARNED
  - Program Planning
  - Program Implementation
  - Program Completion, Evaluation, and Future Activities
- REFERENCES
4 The H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest Long-Term Ecological ResearchSite
- VARIABLES MEASURED AND SOURCES OF DATA
- DATA MANAGEMENT AND INTERFACING
- LESSONS LEARNED
- REFERENCES
5 The Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center
- VARIABLES MEASURED AND SOURCES OF DATA
- DATA MANAGEMENT
  - Selecting the Data Set
  - Contacting the Principal Investigator
  - Acquiring the Data
  - Performing Quality Assurance and Quality Control
  - Documenting the Data
  - Distributing the Data
- LESSONS LEARNED
- REFERENCES
6 The First ISLSCP Field Experiment
- VARIABLES MEASURED AND SOURCES OF DATA
- DATA MANAGEMENT AND INTERFACING
- LESSONS LEARNED
- REFERENCES
7 The California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigation
- VARIABLES MEASURED AND SOURCES OF DATA
- DATA MANAGEMENT AND INTERFACING
  - Science
  - Organization
  - Results
- LESSONS LEARNED
- REFERENCES
8 Interfacing Diverse Environmental Data—Issues and Recommendations
- THE PROBLEM AND ITS CONTEXT
- ADDRESSING BARRIERS DERIVING FROM THE DATA
  - Spatial and Temporal Scale
  - Preliminary Data Processing and Statistical Uncertainty
  - Data Volume
  - Overcoming Data Incompatibilities
- ADDRESSING BARRIERS DERIVING FROM USERS' NEEDS
- ADDRESSING BARRIERS DERIVING FROM ORGANIZATIONAL INTERACTIONS
  - Rewards, Priorities, and Ingrained Attitudes
  - Data Ownership and Cooperation
  - Managing Organizational Change
- ADDRESSING BARRIERS DERIVING FROM INFORMATION SYSTEM CONSIDERATIONS
  - Fuzzy and Shifting Requirements
  - Interoperability
  - Complex Metadata
  - Retracing Data Paths
  - Long-term Archiving of Data
- TEN KEYS TO SUCCESS
- REFERENCES
Appendixes
- A Case Study Evaluation Criteria
  - USER NEEDS
    - Identifying Users
    - Understanding Users' Requirements
    - Technical Aspects
  - STUDY DESIGN
    - Conceptual Framework
    - Methodological Issues
    - Data Integration
  - DATA CHARACTERISTICS AND DATA QUALITY
    - Data Characteristics
    - Quality Control
    - Data Integration
  - DATA MANAGEMENT
    - Up-Front Planning
    - Data Management Procedures
    - Planning for the Future
  - INSTITUTIONAL ISSUES
    - Participants
    - Organization and Management
    - Data Integration
- B List of Abbreviations and Acronyms

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Finding the Forest in the Trees

The Challenge of Combining Diverse Environmental Data

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