Title
A conceptual framework for managing very diverse data for complex, interdisciplinary science
Abstract
Much attention has been given to the challenges of handling massive data volumes in modern data-intensive science. This paper examines an equally daunting challenge - the diversity of interdisciplinary data, notably research data, and the need to interrelate these data to understand complex systemic problems such as environmental change and its impact. We use the experience of the International Polar Year 2007-8 (IPY) as a case study to examine data management approaches seeking to address issues around complex interdisciplinary science. We find that, while technology is a critical factor in addressing the interdisciplinary dimension of the data intensive science, the technologies developing for exa-scale data volumes differ from those that are needed for extremely distributed and heterogeneous data. Research data will continue to be highly heterogeneous and distributed and will require technologies to be much simpler and more flexible. More importantly, there is a need for both technical and cultural adaptation. We describe a vision of discoverable, open, linked, useful, and safe collections of data, organized and curated using the best principles and practices of information and library science. This vision provides a framework for our discussion and leads us to suggest several short- and long-term strategies to facilitate a socio-technical evolution in the overall science data ecosystem.
Year
DOI
Venue
2011
10.1177/0165551511412705
J. Information Science
Keywords
Field
DocType
library science,interdisciplinary data,overall science data ecosystem,conceptual framework,data intensive science,heterogeneous data,complex interdisciplinary science,research data,massive data volume,diverse data,exa-scale data volume,data management
Data science,Ontology,Metadata,Data discovery,Information retrieval,Computer science,Data sharing,Linked data,Sociotechnical system,Data management,Conceptual framework
Journal
Volume
Issue
ISSN
37
6
0165-5515
Citations 
PageRank 
References 
21
2.37
16
Authors
7
Name
Order
Citations
PageRank
Mark A. Parsons1669.52
Øystein Godøy2212.71
Ellsworth Ledrew3212.37
Taco F. De Bruin4212.71
Bruno Danis5212.37
Scott Tomlinson6212.37
David Carlson7212.37