Scott Base

Shulamit Gordon

New Zealand National Antarctic Data

CentreAMD Feedback

Science AdvisorKindly presented by Helen Campbell (BAS)

SCADM-1, September 2009

Context of NZ NADC

Not really an NADC – as we don’t store actual data

‘NADC’ duties only about 5% of Science Advisor’s

role

Historically – only entered summaries of projects

into AMD from 1999 – but NZ active in Antarctica

since 1957!

In January 2008 – got budget to employ 1 ‘Data

Compiler’ for 18 months

Data Compiler Output

~1,200 individual Science and Logistics reports were read from a 49 year period (1959/60 to 2007/08)

Roughly 166 separate science groups were supported during this period

Entered and updated 946 DIFs on the AMD

225 of the 946 metadata entries have a “GET DATA” url

>4,000 publications have been attached to the appropriate datasets.

~71 data repositories (national and international) hold New Zealand Antarctic data and samples.

Identified a number of samples and data that still need to be stored for their long term safe keeping.

Data Compiler Output

Keeping AMD entries up to date

Working towards getting unsecured data into appropriate repositories

Add more GET DATA urls

Developing a Data Policy that all Ant NZ-supported science groups will have to adhere to

Future Plans

AMD Feedback from DIF Creator

All of the available fields are useful and relevant

Really cool search by map/date function!

Still discovering new functionality that hadn’t realised existed

Overall AMD is: User friendly

Self explanatory

Once you’ve figured out the search functions!

AMD Feedback from DIF Creator

Suggestions for Improvements:

Include the entry ID into the search function

Include a ‘General Comments’ field

Extend limit of characters of Entry Title

Automatic update reminder for ‘Planned’ or

‘In Work’ DIFs

Allow for map uploads

Add data upload function

Search Function Feedback:

Straight forward

Use keyword icons or free text search

Search Function Suggestions

Make Free Text search function more

obvious Keyword search prone to error as there is

no entry quality control

AMD Feedback from DIF Creator

Positive Features of the AMD:

The AMD as a whole The summary The contact details The spatial temporal coverage diagram The publications section Good to know whether samples are still in

existence or not Completion of the investigation information

AMD Feedback from NZ Scientist Users

AMD Feedback from NZ Scientist Users

Negatives:

Searching is not completely intuitive Annoying to have to expand a record to get

more information Extra burden placed on scientists to

generate these entries themselves as a potential proposal for the future - scientists are all over committed already