Permanent Access to Scientific Data

The USNC/CODATA has had a long standing interest in the issues relating to the permanent access—i.e., the preservation of and access to—scientific and technical data. The USNC/CODATA has helped support the activities of an international CODATA Working Group on Scientific Data Archiving since 2001. The working group compiled a list of key issues in this area, developed an annotated bibliography of Web-based resources, and supported the organization of a data archiving workshop in Pretoria, South Africa, in May 2002. At the October 2002 CODATA General Assembly, this working group was converted to the Task Group on Preservation and Archiving of Scientific and Technical Data in Developing Countries. This Task Group was renewed at the CODATA General Assembly in November 2004 in Berlin.

The USNC/CODATA has convened an informal data archiving subgroup that supports the activities of the Task Group and examines issues relevant to archiving digital scientific data. The current portfolio of USNC/CODATA activities relating to permanent access to digital scientific data include:

• CODATA Task Group on Preservation and Archiving of Scientific and Technical Data in Developing Countries The objectives of the CODATA Task Group on “Preservation and Archiving of Scientific and Technical Data in Developing Countries” are to: 1) promote a deeper understanding of the needs of developing countries with regard to long-term preservation, archiving, and access to S&T data; 2) advance the development and adoption of improved archiving procedures, technologies, standards, and policies; and 3) provide an interdisciplinary forum and mechanisms for exchanging information about S&T data archiving requirements and activities, with particular focus on the concerns and needs of developing countries. The Task Group is co-chaired by Dr. William Anderson, a member of the USNC/CODATA, and Dr. Liu Chuang of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The USNC/CODATA is vigorously supporting the activities of this task group in 2004-2005.
• Strategies for Permanent Access to Scientific Information in Southern Africa: Focus on Health and Environmental Information for Sustainable Development—An International Workshop This workshop will be held on 6-8 September 2005 at the National Research Foundation in Pretoria, South Africa, and will provide an international and interdisciplinary forum to promote a deeper understanding of, and requirements for, long-term preservation of and open access to digital scientific information resources for sustainable development in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.
• Portal on Permanent Access to Scientific Data and Information The Committee is also working with the international CODATA and ICSTI, as well as with other interested organizations, to develop and maintain an Internet portal for permanent access to scientific data and information. This portal will build upon and help integrate the work of these ICSU bodies, especially of the aforementioned CODATA Task Group, with the work being done in this area by all other relevant groups and organizations. A prototype of this portal was launched at the 19^th CODATA Conference in Berlin in November 2004.
• Workshop on Strategies for Preservation of and Open Access to Digital Scientific Data in China The USNC worked with the CODATA Task Group on the Preservation and Archiving of S&T Data in Developing Countries and the Chinese National CODATA Committee to convene a workshop on Strategies for Preservation of and Open Access to Digital Scientific Data in Beijing, China, in June 2004, in collaboration with the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, the Chinese Agency for Science and Technology, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The workshop provided an interdisciplinary forum and promoted a deeper understanding of long-term preservation, archiving, and open access to scientific data in the developing country context. This activity will serve the data archiving and preservation needs in scientific capacity building of developing countries, and will promote networking among scientific data managers, users, and funding agencies. A complementary workshop focusing on these issues in southern Africa has been proposed for 2005 in collaboration with the South African CODATA Committee and the South African National Research Foundation.
• CODATA/ERPANET Workshop on the Selection, Appraisal, and Retention of Scientific Data The USNC/CODATA jointly convened an archiving workshop on the criteria for the selection, retention, and appraisal of S&T data with CODATA and ERPANET, the Electronic Resource Preservation and Access Network, which is funded by the European Commission. The workshop was held on 15-17 December 2003 at the Biblioteca Nacional in Lisbon, and brought together over 60 researchers, data managers, information specialists, and archivists from 13 countries to discuss the issues involved in making critical decisions regarding the long-term preservation of the scientific record. For additional information, including workshop presentations and final report, please log onto www.erpanet.org.