WHO IS TALKING TO YOU?
Steve Walsh Ex conservation worker Ex lecturer from 2001 Recently ex-self employed
contractor/consultant for local authority Newly reborn spatial data
liberationist working on the IGIBS project
IGIBS
Interoperable Geospatial Information for Biosphere Study EDINA, Aberystwyth University , Welsh Government 7 month project ending Oct 31st 2011 Based around the Dyfi Biosphere area in West
Wales and within the Institute of Geography and Earth Studies.
Make data available to researchers students and the public
One outcome will be a report looking at departmental best practice
WHAT DO I WANT FROM TODAY?
Sanity check of my ideas Plunder your ideas
AIM
To define a best practice model for the interaction of a university department
with the academic SDI
“Geospatial Data Management and Sharing”
THE REPORT
Audience –academic departments that manage geospatial data; their decision makers, academic and support staff
Contents Academic SDI (UK) HE department Case studies Formulating best practice Aberystwyth situation Best practice model
SDI DEFINITION “SDI encompasses the policies, organisational remits, data,technologies, standard delivery mechanisms and financialand human resources necessary to ensure that those workingwith spatial data, whether at the global or local scale, are notimpeded in meeting their objectives”, (INSPIREconsultation paper, 2003)
“the relevant base collection of technologies, policies andinstitutional arrangements that facilitate the availability ofand access to spatial data”, (GSDI cookbook 2001)
ACADEMIC SDI
Research community
Informal- Google, Street
map etc
JISC, EDINA, Gogeo JANET
DCC Data MP
Industry ESRI etc
Research
Council data
centres
National funding
and policy
INSPIRE, FOI, EIR
Technology
Shibb,Open source
National mapping Agencies
UK Location
DEPARTMENT STRUCTUREHOD/Senior
TeamTech staff
Course manage
rs
Undergrads
Research Group
Individual researche
rs
Postgrads
Institu
tional Po
licy a
nd
Fund
ing
Sup
port S
erv
ices
ACADEMICATTITUDES
Its my dataset and its valuable
They only want the data to
discredit my
research
But the next paper
is the important
thing
LACK OF AWARENESSSo we have an ear, leg, tail, and trunk but what the heck is an academic
SDI?
RESEARCH PAPERMANAGEMENT
Easily search literature Create proposal Seek funding Create paper Refine paper Send to journal Referees comments Publish in various formats Catalogue, archive and
publicise Receive credit Paper still available 100
years later
Cant find existing relevant data
Spend time and money collecting new data
Use once Leave on personal
drives with no metadata record
Promotion to new job and data evaporates after one year
DATA MANAGEMENT
Costello 2009
Data management in relation to paper production
CASE STUDIES
We are looking at a range of case studies both from within the department and from the land management agencies
The case studies are the users and providers of geospatial data from the Dyfi Biosphere.
They include academic staff from undergraduates to Professors leading teams of researchers.
CASE STUDIES
Alisdair Cunningham-IGES PhD candidate PhD to develop a tool for analysing imagery to
create habitat change maps Data needs
Range of commercial satellite imagery including atmospheric quality data
Data provider Habitat change maps relevant to WG CCW etc Legacy of a tool to interpret future imagery
CASE STUDIES
Mike Bailey-Countryside Council For Wales Manages NNR within the Biosphere area
Data needs Historic habitat extent Recent changes related to habitat
management Data provider
Species surveys, designation monitoring
CASE STUDIES
Jonathan Brownett-IGES MSc candidate Analysing forest change in the Dyfi Catchment
over the past 8 years Data needs
Range of mapping services inc Digimap and field parcel data from the WG together with Landsat 7 imagery
Data provider Habitat change time line relevant to Forestry
Commission and future undergraduate students
CASE STUDIES
Hugh Evans – Forest Research Research into forestry pests in Wales
Data needs Historic felling and logging dates of
forestry blocks to help manage Pine Weevil damage to newly planted forestry blocks
RECENT HISTORY
EDINA surveys of orphaned datasets from four Universities ……
Climate gate- CRU University of East Anglia
Other egs?
IMPORTANCE OF METADATA
Structured metadata is the vital ingredient of any geospatial sharing infrastructure that seeks to promote the curation and sharing of these data.
Ahonen-Rainio 2005, DCC 2011, Geoconnections 2011, Olfat et al 2010,
Bank 2005, Higgins (S) 2006 etc etc
Metadata Data
Academic Community
GO-GEO SHARE-GEO AND GEODOC
Geoportal for the discovery of metadata and for the creation and publishing of standards compliant metadata and geodata.
CURRENT GOOD PRACTICE
Data management policy Edinburgh Hertfordshire
Support systems Edinburgh art college data team
Teaching /training of future researchers Research Data Mantra
HERTFORD DATA MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK
University of Hertford Data Management Policy DocumentMarch 2011
POLICY ENVIRONMENT
UK Government .. UK Location Programme- INSPIRE in the UK
What will it mean for UK HE sector? Recent Select Committee conclusion re data
management“In line with this principle, where possible, data associated with all publicly funded research should be made widely and freely available.” “The work of researchers who expend time and effort adding value to their data, to make it usable by others, should be acknowledged as a valuable part of their role.”
Science and Technology Committee - Eighth Report Peer review in scientific publications 2011
POLICY ENVIRONMENT
Research Councils RCUK strong policy for publishing the
access route to data with publications NERC 2011 data policy
Includes presumption of free access to data and removal of funding for noncompliance
ABERYSTWYTH OPERATING ENVIRONMENT
No clear Institutional policy No departmental policy Individuals and research groups define
current practice Confirmation of EDINA survey.. Large
numbers of orphaned datasets Lack of awareness amongst staff of
INSPIRE or the existence of an academic SDI
ABERYSTWYTH OPERATING ENVIRONMENT Professional back-up services
Daily double tape storage in separate buildings
Storage for one year only Computing policies
That highlight future research data management and research council requirements
Research paper depository/repository? Cadair… showcase for UA research
CADAIR
ABERYSTWYTH OPERATING ENVIRONMENT Key departmental staff
Remote sensing research group GIS module staff Map librarians
Support services IS Digital librarians FoIA/EIR compliance team
IGES DIGITAL MAP LIBRARY
For use by undergraduates and for teaching GIS modules
Establishing a Geodoc node for relevant metadata Initial comprehensive datasets of the Dyfi
Biosphere area Metadata catalogue for student data discovery Integration with taught GIS modules Incorporation of Metadata and other SDI related
concepts into teaching Professional development of map librarians.
BEST PRACTICE MODEL
BEST PRACTICE MODEL
Unique to time, place and geospatial data type….
Place Institutional, departmental and individual
research group policies and culture Change over time
RCs policies on data publication Cultural shift INSPIRE
THE WAY FORWARD?
Wait for institutional or HEFCW etc/ legislative leadership
Or
Seek to influence individuals through action from within the department
LOOKING FOR A BOTTOM-UP APPROACH
Department/s and or individuals to engage in promoting Institutional best practice
Create a culture that begins to move geospatial data management up the priority tree
Incorporate gsdm into undergrad courses
Provide training for post grads and staff
POLICY STATEMENT CREATION
Leadership or initiative-taker Development of a departmental policy
for research data or engagement with the Institution to develop University wide policy Involvement and ownership of the process
by staff as important as the final policy
GET THE BASICS RIGHT
Metadata creation and publication for significant publicly funded datasets
Watching brief (UK Location etc) for guidance on future implications for HEIs
Presumption of open access for publicly funded data (within IPR, Research paper publication and Data Protection limits)
MAKE BEST USE OF EXISTING RESOURCES EDINA Gogeo, Geodoc, Share Geo
Create and share metadata and data Digital Curation Centre
Model for data management (Staff or department?)
Other geospatial data depositories Institutional repositories Support staff
INTEGRATE INTO THE CULTURE
Encourage the publication of geospatial data
Encourage funding applications for initiatives to develop best practice Teaching Research Support services
INTEGRATE INTO THE CULTURE
Find, appoint or create data management torch bearers
Incorporate metadata creation, standards and importance into undergraduate teaching syllabus
Provide workshop/training opportunities for staff
DATA CREATION
Idea
Data funding
collect check
metadata store
Publish metada
ta
DATA CREATION
Idea
Data funding
collect check
metadata store
Publish metada
ta
Collect data and confirm
DMP and stakeholder requiremen
ts
Create metadata
to appropriate
standard
Ensure appropriate short term
storage and back-
up
Check data quality and accuracy; recollect, improve
Seek funding
including cost of
suitable DMP
Develop research idea and review lit.
Search for existing data
Publish research;
signpost to metadata and instigate DMP
Publish
Access
Reuse
Format
transform
appraisal
Update metadat
a
LONGER TERM DATA MANAGEMENT
Publish
Access
Reuse
Format
transform
appraisal
Update metadat
a
LONGER TERM DATA MANAGEMENTWill a
dedicated data journal
accept and or will a data repository
accept
Possibly commit to
bottom draw for a few
years first!
Is the storage format and or
media appropriate
Transform or migrate the
data
Does the data still have value to
originator or other
researchers?
Is it possible to reuse the
data within or outside the department
Can the access
restrictions be relaxed?
SOME KEY INDICATORS
Metadata creation to at least AGMAP 2.1 standard as part of all spatial data collection
Expectation of data reuse within and without the department
Data management plan ( to DCC or RC standard?) for all important data
Identify skills gaps and fund staff development Best use made of existing Institutional staff and
resources Review and improvement of gsdm planned and
implemented