J5A Democratizing Data: Environmental Data Access and Its Future

Tuesday, 30 January 2024: 8:30 AM-10:00 AM
337 (The Baltimore Convention Center)
Hosts: (Joint between the 40th Conference on Environmental Information Processing Technologies; and the 27th Conference of Atmospheric Science Librarians International )
Cochairs:
Kevin A. Butler; Lauren Jackson, NESDIS, NCEI, Stennis Space Center, MS; Michael C. Kruk, NESDIS, NCEI, Boulder, CO and Nazila Merati, NESDIS, NCEI, Boulder, CO

One of the tenets of big data is the idea of the (2,4, 7) V’s - Volume, Velocity, Variety, Variability, Veracity, Visualization, and Value. With the increase in the volume and velocity of data, access becomes ever more challenging. Users have access to more types of data and they can become overwhelmed by the possibilities. In the past, data access has been confusing but now there is more user engagement in building friendlier and more usable interfaces. Discovery is now more flexible and all encompassing - for example using schema.org to enable data discovery and via Google search. This increased use of data is not limited to scientists and other professionals. Citizens use data more than they realize (maps, elevation charts, tides, etc.) so they are constantly accessing data from a variety of sources.

There remains a broader community goal to have improved data access with the aim of democratizing data by removing gatekeepers so that data are unrestricted and available in a meaningful way to all. Improved access to data also supports data equity - “The term “data equity” captures a complex and multi-faceted set of ideas. It refers to the consideration, through an equity lens, of the ways in which data is collected, analyzed, interpreted, and distributed.” By making data more easily accessed and used we also make the ability to use data more equitable. We want to gather a set of papers that bring together all aspects of the data access process with a focus on improving data access for a wide range of users. We propose the following structure:

  • data discoverability

  • data access

  • data and service equity

  • data usability

  • user interface/engagement/input

  • visualization tools

  • reproducibility and tracing - after access

Papers:
8:30 AM
J5A.1
Enabling an Iterative Open Science Transformation to the Geoverse with a Federated Knowledge Mesh
Ryan Berkheimer, NOAA NESDIS NCEI, Asheville, NC; NESDIS, Asheville, NC

Handout (5.5 MB)

8:45 AM
J5A.2
9:00 AM
J5A.3
NOAA Open Data Dissemination Democratizes Access to Environmental Data
Adrienne Simonson, NOAA, Asheville, NC; and P. Keown, J. Dissen, K. Szura, O. Brown, J. Brannock, D. Willett, and T. C. Vance

9:15 AM
J5A.4
9:30 AM
J5A.5
Accessing Global Geostationary Satellite Data through SLIDER
Curtis Seaman, Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere, Fort Collins, CO; and K. Micke, Z. P. Amundson, N. Tourville, S. Finley, L. Cheatwood-Harris, and D. Lindsey

- Indicates paper has been withdrawn from meeting
- Indicates an Award Winner