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Review of NOAA's National Geophysical Data Center (2003) / Chapter Skim
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Executive Summary
Pages 1-6

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From page 1...
... and its three national data centers for climate, oceanography, and geophysics. The National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC)
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From page 2...
... The committee undertook the review from the perspective of the scientific user community. The following recommendations were based on analysis of background material prepared by NGDC, a site visit, discussions with NOAA managers and staff, and assessment of previous reviews of NGDC and other national data centers.
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From page 3...
... More detailed information on users is not available because users now overwhelmingly use the Web to find data instead of contacting a staff member at the center. The Web site was not designed to capture much information about users, and the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 forbids data as well as ionospheric, solar, and other space environment data; develops analytical, climatological, and descriptive products to meet user requirements; and provides facilities for World Data Center-A (Solid Earth Geophysics, Solar Terrestrial Physics, and Glaciology)
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From page 4...
... Recommendation: NGDC should take steps to obtain effective feedback from its users by establishing an independent external advisory group, conducting statistically valid user surveys, and making better use of its Web site to characterize users and to define their interests and level of expertise. Previous data center reviews suggest that the best data centers are Integrated into the scientific community.
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From page 5...
... These steps would help NGDC become the first place users go to find geophysical data. Recommendation: NGDC should work with organizations that are sponsoring relevant data collection projects (e.g., National Ocean Partnership Program, National Science Foundation)
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From page 6...
... Recommendation: NGDC should improve its data stewardship, guided by practices at other data centers, to accelerate its data migration schedule and its rate of archive transcription, and should also address the center and backup site disaster vulnerability. Performance Measures Performance measures provide a means for evaluating progress.
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Key Terms

  • solid earth
  • earth geophysics
  • marine geology
  • national geophysical
  • relevant data

  • scientific involvement
  • scientific expertise
  • provide prominent
  • backup storage
  • center staff

  • geophysical data
  • national data
  • center performance
  • disseminating data
  • environmental satellite

  • strategic plans
  • prominent links
  • data related
  • center reviews
  • information service

  • analog records
  • valid user
  • federally supported
  • effective feedback
  • partnership program

  • easily found
  • supplement staff
  • noaa responsibility
  • active scientists
  • user survey


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