The following data protocol and management issues were discussed and agreed to by the LPB Science Working Group. This data management strategy (i.e. protocol, schedule, data submission, and distribution) form the basis of the LPB data management policy discussed in this chapter and expanded in subsequent sections of this document.
2.1. INTRODUCTION
The field observation campaign (LPB) being planned between 2005 and 2006 aimed at describing many aspects of the basin.
Further details on LPB can be found at: http://www.clivar.org/organization/vamos/vamos.php
Performing high-quality measurements during the planned LPB period, carrying out quality and error checking procedures, and submitting data and related documentation to the LPBDA will require substantial financial and logistical efforts of the data providers. The necessary support for these activities originates from a variety of international, national and institutional sources.
This policy was approved at the LPB coordination meeting.
In order to set up data release guidelines which
balance the interests of both data users and data providers; it was
considered useful to divide LPB data into the following two categories:
Category 2: Enhanced
or
Experimental data. (e.g. LPB rawinsondes, pibal balloon and
aircraft
data, radar data) High exploitation value, measurement technology
sophisticated
and/or of experimental nature, contacts to data providers recommended
for
correct interpretation of data, high efforts necessary to maintain
continuous
measurements and high quality of data. These data will be taken for
specific
research purposes and maintained by a specific research group and/or
the
station or instrument PI.
2.2. LPB DATA RELEASE AND DISSEMINATION GUIDELINES
2.2.1 Release of Data in Compliance with WMO
Resolution 40 (CG-XII) and WMO Resolution 25 (CG-XIII)
LPB was initiated by VAMOS/CLIVAR/WCRP, whose
co-sponsor is WMO, as an international project. It is thus appropriate
that any policy for release and dissemination of LPB data should
principally comply with the WMO policy, practice and guidelines for the
exchange of meteorological, hydrological, and related data and
products, as embodied in Resolution 40 of the Twelfth WMO Congress 1995
(CG-XII), and Resolution 25 of the Thirteenth WMO Congress 1999
(CG-XIII); that is, free and unrestricted exchange of essential data
and products.
The no-restriction principle shall in particular
mean that no financial implications are involved for the LPB data
exchange. LPB data files available through one of the LPBDA shall be
offered free
of charge to the data users.
2.2.2 No Commercial Use or Exploitation
It is understood that all LPB data shall be
delivered to users only for scientific studies designed to meet
LPB-WCRP objectives. Commercial use and exploitation by either the data
users nor the LPBDA is prohibited, unless specific permission has been
obtained from the LPB investigators concerned in writing.
2.2.3 No Data Transfer to Third Parties
One restriction, which will be imposed on all data
users, concerns the re-export or transfer of the original data (as
received from the archive) to a third party. Such restriction shall
apply to all categories of LPB data, and is in the best interests of
both the LPB investigators and the potential users.
Unrestricted copying of the original data by
multiple, independent users may lead to errors in the data and loss of
identity of
its LPB-DA origin and is strictly prohibited.
LPBDA will offer LPB data files to potential data users
through electronic means, (e.g. the Internet) or other designated media
(e.g. CD ROMs). The LPBDA shall install technical means to keep
protocol on all data transfers to data users thus maintaining a
catalogue of all data users, and the data files they have obtained.
2.2.4 Timing for Release of LPB Data from LPBDA
The timing issue clearly involves some
conflicting
aspects. The data user will obviously be interested in obtaining data
as
soon as possible after the time of measurement. The data providers, as
well
as the LPBDA, will wish to ensure the highest attainable quality of the
data.
The latter will generally be time consuming, particularly in view of
the
shortage of manpower in many cases.
In addition, the data providers may have for good reasons an
interest
to exploit the respective data, or part of it, for his/her own
scientific
interest, or for another funded project or experiment, before these
data
are made openly available to a larger community.
Ideally, data should be ready for general release
after some specific period following its acquisition, during which the
exchange process between the data provider, the LPBDA and also the
other data providers, including quality control and assurance, will
have been completed. Six months has been considered as the
appropriate length for this data turn-around period.
All data taken for LPB, shall be categorized into
standard (category 1) and enhanced or experimental (category 2) data.
See
section 2.1.1 above for definition of these categories. Standard data
shall
be freely open to the science community after the basic turn-around
period
of six months. Enhanced or experimental data
shall
be freely open to the science community after a prolonged turn-around
period
of 15 months at maximum.
Each data providers will be responsible to divide
data provided to the LPB- LPBDA into the mentioned category scheme
(Section 2.1.1). In cases of conflict, it is the data provider who
decides on the category of specific data at the respective site.
It shall be possible in special cases for a potential data user to establish direct contact to a data provider in order to agree on exceptions (i.e. shortenings of the turn-around period) to these rules for specific data or data periods. It is suggested that these communications shall be performed with co-ordination of the LPBDA.
2.2.5 Acknowledgement and Citation
Whenever LPB data distributed by LPBDA are being
used for publication of scientific results, the data's origin must be
acknowledged and referenced. A minimum requirement is to reference LPB
and the LPBDA. If only data from one specific source of LPB data (or a
limited number of them) has been used, additional acknowledgement to
the data provider
and its (their) institutions or organizations shall be given.
Maintaining continuous, high-quality measurements,
performing quality and error checking procedures, and submitting data
and related documentation to the LPBDA will require substantial
financial and logistical efforts of the LPB investigators.
The PDA shall make proper reference to all data
providers and, if required, to their funding sources.
2.2.6 Co-Authorship for Principal
Investigators (PIs)
Co-authorship of LPB participants on published
papers making extensive use of LPB data is justifiable and highly
recommended, in particular, if a PI has responded to questions raised
about the data's quality and/or suitability for the specific study in
question, or has been involved in directly contributing to the paper in
other ways. It is highly recommended that any data user should contact
the responsible PI and ask
him/her if he/she wants to become co- author, or if an acknowledgement
(see
section 2.5) would be sufficient. If co-authorship is requested, the PI
and
the data user should establish a basis for collaboration. A PI in this
context
means the responsible site or instrument scientist or any person
(student,
collaborator) that he/she may suggest.
Data users of LPB data are encouraged to establish
direct contact with PIs and LPB investigators for the purpose of
complete
interpretation and analysis of data for publication purposes. This is
in
particular recommended for category 2 data.
2.2.7 LPB Publication Library
Whenever LPB data distributed by LPBDA are being
used for publication of scientific results, the author(s) shall sent a
copy of the respective publication, preferably in electronic form, to
the LPB Project
Office in order to build up a LPB publication library. The Project
Office
will maintain this library and will make it public, for example via the
LPB
website, for a continuous monitoring of the LPB data applications and
LPB's achievements in general.
2.4. LPB Data Management Functional
Description and Strategy
The general approach to data management support for LPB is summarized
in a data flow diagram (see Fig. 1). It is important that the LPB data
management strategy be responsive to the needs of the investigators,
assuring
that data are accurate and disseminated in a timely fashion. It is also
important
that the investigators know what is expected of them in this process. A
time
line of critical dates in the sequence of LPB data management tasks are
included in Fig. 2. After a description of the Data Archive Center
(Section
3.1), each step in the LPB data management process is discussed in more
detail.
The LPB data will be available to the scientific community through a designated mirror LPB Data Archive Center located at NCAR Earth Observing Laboratory Data Services, Boulder, Colorado, USA. All data sets collected for LPB will be available through the existing interactive EOL Data Management System (CODIAC). CODIAC offers scientists access to research and operational data. It provides the means to identify data sets of interest, facilities to view data and associated metadata, and the ability to automatically obtain data via internet file transfer or magnetic media. The user may browse data to preview selected data sets prior to retrieval. Data displays include time series plots for surface parameters, thermodynamic diagrams for soundings, and GIF images for model analysis products and satellite imagery. CODIAC users can directly retrieve data. They can download data via Internet directly to their workstation or personal computer or request delivery of data on magnetic media. Data may be selected by time or location and can be converted to one of several formats before delivery. CODIAC automatically includes associated documentation concerning the data itself, processing steps, and quality control procedures.
Contact Information:
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 3000, Boulder, CO, USA, 80307Shipping Address: 3450 Mitchell Lane, Boulder, Colorado, USA, 80307
Telephone: (303) 497-8987 [FAX (303) 497-2044]
Internet Access: http://data.eol.ucar.edu/