Statistics – Computation
Scientific paper
Dec 2009
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2009agufmsh54a..01s&link_type=abstract
American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2009, abstract #SH54A-01
Statistics
Computation
[0525] Computational Geophysics / Data Management, [7899] Space Plasma Physics / General Or Miscellaneous
Scientific paper
In recent years NASA has initiated a program to develop a set of Virtual Observatories (VxOs, where the “x” represents a discipline, such as the Virtual Magnetospheric Observatory, or VMO). From a high level perspective the VxOs fulfill an important, if not essential, role in fulfilling NASA’s open data policy. VxOs are envisaged as being portals for access to many different types and sources of data, thereby removing the need for an individual to access separate data sources, with different query and data transfer mechanisms. New missions are expected to develop Project Data Management Plans that adhere to NASA’s open data policy, and the VxOs are clearly a mechanism to ensure that data are disseminated to as large a community as possible. That being said, there are some concerns. First, a mission cannot rely on a VxO being present, as a VxO’s existence depends on programmatic decisions separate from mission-specific programmatic decisions. Second, since early in a mission, much of the expertise needed to interpret the data resides within the mission science team, the VxO may not have enough resources to disseminate the necessary knowledge. Independent scientists may consequently find themselves using the primary mission data source, rather than going through the VxO. This leads to a secondary concern with VxOs, which is the need for extensive metadata to characterize and catalog the data. Early in a mission, while all parties may have the best of intentions, there will in all likelihood be insufficient time and resources to develop the necessary metadata for the VxOs. This can be partially mitigated through the adoption of an incremental approach to metadata development for the VxO. But, since many of the properties of the mission, its instruments, and the data they provide will not be fully understood until well into the mission, it is likely that VxOs will have greatest utility for mature missions. One last aspect of VxOs comes from the user perspective. It is important that VxOs make extensive use of “beta testers.” What is important for a VxO is not that it have a clever interface, but that it provide quick access to datasets by constructing the appropriate queries, and that it is flexible enough to handle both large and small data requests.
No associations
LandOfFree
High Level Community Perspective of VxOs and Their Science Expectations (Invited) does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.
If you have personal experience with High Level Community Perspective of VxOs and Their Science Expectations (Invited), we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and High Level Community Perspective of VxOs and Their Science Expectations (Invited) will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1877432