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Review of NOAA's National Geophysical Data Center (2003)

Chapter: Appendix B: Criteria for Review

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Suggested Citation:"Appendix B: Criteria for Review." National Research Council. 2003. Review of NOAA's National Geophysical Data Center. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10773.
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Appendix B Criteria for Review

RELATIONSHIP WITH NOAA AND NESDIS MISSION

  • Maintaining or enhancing position as an authoritative source of geophysical data and information

  • Being ready for new data streams

  • Establishing and maintaining a working relationship with providers of data products, algorithms, and ancillary information

  • Fitting within the NESDIS strategic plan

  • Relevance to the NOAA and Department of Commerce missions and discipline themes

DATA AND HOLDINGS

  • Providing easy and timely access to data, data products, and information of high integrity and quality (data discovery, online visualization, online data delivery, facilitating access to data from other data centers)

  • Fostering the quality of holdings

    • issuing data update notices

    • notifying users of errors

    • engaging scientific community in quality control

  • Ensuring that data and data products are properly documented and that all appropriate ancillary information is readily accessible

  • Ensuring that data and associated metadata are secure

  • Establishing and maintaining a data acquisition strategy

  • Transcribing, rescuing, and preserving data

Suggested Citation:"Appendix B: Criteria for Review." National Research Council. 2003. Review of NOAA's National Geophysical Data Center. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10773.
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USERS

  • Characterizing the user community (e.g., who are they?)

  • Responding to the needs of different user communities (e.g., scientific, commercial, public, education)

  • Educating and reaching out to users about the application and significance of data and information holdings

TECHNOLOGY, FACILITIES, AND WORKFORCE

  • Implementing an information technology strategy that includes

    • usability

    • performance

    • access

    • security

    • migration (data and software)

    • technology tracking

  • Maintaining in-house expertise to acquire and/or develop appropriate hardware and software

  • Knowledge and use of appropriate national and international data standards

MANAGEMENT

  • Maintaining the science capability to judge the quality of the data/ integrity of the holdings

  • Encouraging user feedback

  • Promoting local innovation and initiative

  • Interacting and cooperating with other NOAA units to address common issues and avoid duplication of effort

  • Possessing a vision for NGDC

  • Having sufficient resources to carry out the NGDC mission

  • Quality of the workforce

  • Receiving regular input from and responding to an independent user advisory group

  • Maintaining a program of active visiting scientists/having a superscientist on staff

  • Leveraging NGDC activities with resources from other institutions

Suggested Citation:"Appendix B: Criteria for Review." National Research Council. 2003. Review of NOAA's National Geophysical Data Center. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10773.
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Page 69
Suggested Citation:"Appendix B: Criteria for Review." National Research Council. 2003. Review of NOAA's National Geophysical Data Center. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10773.
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Page 70
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The report reviews the National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC) and assesses how well the center is managing its holdings, serving its users, and supporting NOAA's mission. It concludes that NGDC is the natural place within NOAA and the nation for stewardship and dissemination of data related to the solid Earth and space environment. These subject areas are also relevant to NOAA’s new priority on integrated environmental approaches. For NGDC to fulfill its potential, however, it must first rearticulate its mission and overcome some solvable problems, including obtaining effective feedback from its users and organizing the center to eliminate parallel activities and reduce scientific isolation among the divisions.

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