Intern:WDS

The ICSU World Data System (WDS) is the successor of the WDC system. The group of lobally distributed data centers is coordinated unter the umbrella of ICSU.

Following a concept of the Pangaea group and using the portal software panFMP a first draft portal was set up in 2009. It is intended to include as many WDS data centers as possible for a one-stop-shopping.

Links

 * http://icsu-wds.org/
 * http://www.world-data-system.org

Text draft NKGCF brochure Global Change Research in Germany 2011 chapter Data Centre and Data Availability

intro
data are valuable!

the problem of complexity versus capacity

data centre
there are some
 * biodiversity portals (GBIF, OBIS) - who contributes in germany?

data availability
The Availability of data from Global Change research still needs to be improved. To support the flow of data into archives most important are (1) the reliability of access and an (2) assured credit for the data producer. Two initiatives in Germany have substantialy contributed to these points.

A national DFG-funded project became the initial step for making data sets citable and to establish a reliable access. As a consequence the persistient identification became an international standard through the foundation of DataCite as the international registration agency for scientific data. Nearly 100,000 data sets were used as an initial contribution and test for workflow, technical implementation and distribution mechanisms. Several data centers contributed with its content under the leadership of the National Library for Science and Technology (TIB). Data citations are now distributed through libarary catalogs, search engines as well as generic and specific portals.

ESSD
Part of the problem of insufficient availability of data is the missing credit for the data provider. As one solution in 2009 the first data publication journal was established by a German initiative (Earth System Science Data). Papers describing data, methods and quality are peer-reviewed and will be listed in the Science Citation Index; the provision of a persistent identifier as a link to the data is mandatory. In its first publication, an eight year time series of Ozone measurements on the reasearch station Georg Forster of the former GDR (German Democratic Republic) were published.

example ozon-forster graf

redaktion, review, curator, workflow, editorial board, link to publisher/journals

box ICSU World Data System
As a soncequence of the International Geophysical Year of 1957-1958 (IGY) the International Council for Science (ICSU) established the World Data Center system to serve data from the IGY scientific disciplines. Until the end of the WDC system in 2008 more than 50 centers with a global distribution were established covering most disciplines of Global Change research. With the invention of the Internet, many WDC made its data online accessible. Since 2001 Germany has contributed with three centers: World Data Center for Marine Environmental Sciences (WDC-MARE), World Data Center for Climate (WDCC), and World Data Center for Remote Sensing of the Atmosphere (WDC-RSAT).

In 2009 a new World Data System (WDS) has been created through a decision of the 29th General Assembly of the International Council for Science (ICSU); WDS will substitute the WDC. Over 100 WDCs, data centers and institutes have expressed interest in becoming part of the new system. The WDS concept aims at a transition from existing stand-alone WDCs and individual services to a common globally interoperable distributed data system, that incorporates emerging technologies and new scientific data activities. A prototype data portal which is being considered as a proof of concept for an element of the new system. WDS will enjoy a broader disciplinary and geographic base than previous ICSU bodies and will strive to become a world wide 'community of excellence' for scientific data. Any organization producing or holding data is encouraged to join the new WDS (http://icsu-wds.org).

Links

 * examples: wdc-paleo, pangaea, wdcc
 * http://visibleearth.nasa.gov/
 * http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov
 * http://science.gsfc.nasa.gov
 * WMO
 * GEOSS
 * Global Change Research in Germany 2008