Application for renewal of CODATA Task Group

APPLICATION FOR RENEWAL OF CODATA TASK GROUP FOR PRESENTATION TO THE 25th CODATA GENERAL ASSEMBLY, BEIJING, 26-27 OCTOBER 2006

Name of Task Group
“Preservation of and Access to Scientific and Technical Data in Developing Countries”

Objectives of Task Group
•	Promote a deeper understanding of the needs of developing countries with regard to long-term preservation, archiving, and access to scientific and technical (S&T) data. •	Advance the development and adoption of improved S&T data archiving procedures, technologies, standards, and policies, with special attention to these efforts in developing countries. •	Provide an interdisciplinary forum and mechanisms for exchanging information about S&T data preservation and access requirements and activities, with particular focus on the concerns and needs of developing countries. Publish and disseminate broadly the results of these efforts.

Current Co-Chairs of the Task Group
Dr. William L. Anderson (co-chair) PRAXIS101, LLC 12 Hayward Place Rye, NY 10580 U.S.A. +1 914 9676330 band@praxis101.com

Prof. Liu Chuang (co-chair) Global Change Information and Research Center Institute of Geography and Natural Resources Chinese Academy of Sciences 3 Datun Road Chaoyang District Beijing 100101 CHINA +86 10 64889805 lchuang@igsnrr.ac.cn

Current Membership
Dr. Dora Ann Lange Canhos Centro de Referência em Informação Ambiental Av. Romeu Tórtima, 388 Barão Geraldo 13084-520 Campinas, São Paulo BRAZIL +55 19 3288-0466 dora@cria.org.br

Dr. Vishwas Chavan National Chemical Laboratory, SMIS Division Dr. Homi Bhabha Road Pune 411008 INDIA +91 20 5893457 vishwas@ems.ncl.res.in or vishwasc@yahoo.com

Dr. Fu Xiaofeng Information Division The Administrative Center for China's Agenda 21 Ministry of Science and Technology of China State Development Planning Commission of China No. 109 WAnquanhe Road Haidian District Beijing 100089 CHINA +86 10 82636193 fuxf@acca21.org.cn

Dr David L. Giaretta CCLRC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory Chilton, Didcot Oxon OX11 0QX UK +44 1235 446235 d.l.giaretta@rl.ac.uk

Dr. Lulama Makhubela Head: Research & Development Directorate National Development Agency (NDA) Head Office: 2nd Floor 122 De Korte Street Braamfontein, 2017 SOUTH AFRICA +27 11 7185598 lulamaM@nda.org.za

Prof. Steve Rossouw Chairperson: S A National Committee for CODATA National Research Foundation P O Box 2600 Pretoria 0001 SOUTH AFRICA +27 21 976 021 steveros@iafrica.com

Mr. Basanta Shrestha ICIMOD, International Center for Integrated Mountain Development G.P.O. Box 3226, Jawalakhel Kathmandu, NEPAL +977 1 525313 bshrestha@icimod.org.np

Dr. Khululmur Sodov Information and Computer Center Khudaldaany gudamj 5 Ulaanbaatar 46, MONGOLIA +976 11 326649 mtt@magicnet.mn

Dr. Alexander M. Sterin All-Russian Research Institute of Hydrometeorological Information 6 Korolev Str Obninsk Kaluga Reg., 249035 RUSSIA +7 95 2552467, or +7 84 3974658 sterin@meteo.ru

Prof. Morakot Tanticharoen National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology 15th floor, Gypsum Metropolitan Tower 539/2 Sri-Ayudhya Road, Ratchadevi Bangkok 10400 THAILAND +66 2 6425322 morakt@biotec.or.th

Prof. D.R.F. Taylor Department of Geography and Environmental Studies Carleton University 1125 Colonel By Drive Ottawa K1S 5B6 CANADA

Prof. Yoshifumi Yasuoka University of Tokyo, Institute of Industrial Science 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro, Tokyo 153-8505 JAPAN +81 3 54526409 (or 6411) yyasuoka@iis.u-tokyo.ac.jp

Paul F. Uhlir, J.D. The National Academies 500 Fifth Street NW Washington, DC 20001 U.S.A. +1 202 3341531 puhlir@nas.edu Executive Committee Liaison: Prof. Takashi Kunisawa

Summary of activities since the General Assembly 2004
a)	Task Group meeting held in Berlin at CODATA Conference. Set up planning committees for regional workshop in South Africa for 2005. In addition, the Task Group organized a very successful day of presentations on archiving at the 19th CODATA Conference in Berlin.

b)	CODATA Task Group Workshop on Strategies for Permanent Access to Scientific Information in Southern Africa: Focus on Health and Environmental Information for Sustainable Development. The workshop was held 5-7 September 2005 in Pretoria, South Africa, and organized by the Task Group, the South African National Committee for CODATA, and the US National Committee for CODATA. The meeting brought together scientists, scientific data managers, archivists, from 10 of the 14 Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries. The workshop included working sessions that yielded a number of suggestions for practical action. The South African NRF workshop report publication is scheduled for 1st Quarter of 2006. In addition, the workshop generated interest in, and visibility for, CODATA and CODATA archiving activities, and for the newly formed ICSU Regional Office for ICSU.

c)	Initiated planning for preservation and access related sessions at the 20th International CODATA Conference, scheduled for 23-25 October 2006, in Beijing, China.

d)	Initiated planning for South American regional workshop on Strategies for Permanent Access to Scientific Information in South America: Focus on Health and Environmental Information for Sustainable Development. This workshop builds on the successful series of workshops convened by the CODATA Preservation Task Group in 2002, 2004, 2005, and 2006. The workshop is being organized jointly by the US and Brazilian National Committees for CODATA and the Task Group. It is tentatively scheduled to be held in Brazil in September 2006. The Reference Center on Environmental Information (CRIA) in Campinas, Brazil will provide local logistical support and assist in meeting planning. [ … ] will provide additional expertise.

e)	Work continued on an ICSTI-CODATA Portal on Permanent Access to Scientific Data and Information Resources, in collaboration with ICSTI. The ICSTI (January 2004) and CODATA (November 2004) executive committees have approved moving forward with the portal. Requirements and resource estimates have been developed for initial deployment. Establishment of editorial and oversight committees and initial deployment are planned for 2006.

f)	WSIS involvement? [TASK GROUP ACTIVITIES HIGHLIGHTED AT WSIS?]

g)	The US National Committee and the Task Group have started discussions about a possible regional meeting in Russia in 2007.

h)	Various Task Group members have provided visibility and outreach of CODATA and the Task Group at meetings, conferences, and through publications and online forums. A summary of key archiving issues was published in the Data Science Journal.

Deliverables expected to be completed before the General Assembly 2006
a)	Publication of the report from the September 2005 Southern African workshop.

b)	Publication of the US NAS Report of the 2004 Beijing Workshop on Data Sharing.

c)	Convene a South American regional workshop on Strategies for Permanent Access to Scientific Information in South America: Focus on Health and Environmental Information for Sustainable Development.

d)	Task Group meeting will be held in conjunction with the 20th International CODATA Conference in Beijing to solicit Task Group member input regarding preservation, access, and CODATA activities in their respective countries and to facilitate interaction among the members.

Expected consequences of the Task Group activities
a)	Continued promotion of CODATA and its portfolio of data preservation and access activities in international for a.

b)	Continued collaboration in archiving-related activities with interested organizations, such as ICSTI, other ICSU bodies, and other relevant groups.

If renewed, deliverables to be completed by the next General Assembly (2008)
a)	Convene a regional workshop in Russia and the Baltic States on health and environmental information resources in collaboration with CODATA national committees, other appropriate International Council for Science (ICSU) bodies, and relevant regional and international organizations that will:
 * one Establish outreach and organizational networks to identify requirements and support development of standardized S&T data preservation and access practices at the local level;
 * two Promote advances in S&T data preservation and access procedures, technologies, standards, training, and policies; and
 * three Produce and disseminate reports of the results from the workshops.

b)	Deploy and maintain an Internet portal on Permanent Access to Scientific Data and Information (see above). This Web site will build upon and integrate the work of this Task Group with the work being done in STI permanent access area by all other relevant groups and organizations. In particular, it is expected to greatly raise the visibility of CODATA among data managers internationally. It will provide information about and links to existing:
 * one STI permanent access procedures, technologies, standards, and policies;
 * two Discipline-specific and cross-disciplinary archiving projects and activities; and
 * three Expert points of contact in all countries, with particular attention to those in developing countries.

This Internet portal will be a separate, but related, initiative to the principal objectives and deliverables of the Task Group described above. The performance of this additional project will be contingent on securing the requisite funds for developing the portal and sustaining its operation.

Funds received from sources other than CODATA since the General Assembly in 2004
•	[TBD]

If renewed, plans for obtaining financial support from non-CODATA sources
We anticipate obtaining substantial grants from one or more private foundations, government science agencies, and international governmental and nongovernmental scientific organizations.

In-kind support by the Task Group participants and their organizations is expected as well.

Three suggested referees together with their contact information
(They cannot include current members of the Executive)

[NEED THREE NEW NAMES]

Bernard Dumouchel CISTI / ICSTI Director General, Canada Institute for Scientific and Technical Information National Research Council Canada | 1200 Montreal Road, Ottawa, ON K1A 0R6 CANADA Tel: (613) 9932341 E-mail: Bernard.Dumouchel@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca

Dr. Andrew M. Kaniki Executive Director: Knowledge Management and Strategy National Research Foundation P.O. Box 2600 Pretoria 0001 SOUTH AFRICA Tel: +27 12 481 4000 E-mail: andrew@nrf.ac.za

John Faundeen U.S. Geological Service EROS Data Center Sioux Falls, SD 57198 USA Tel: +1 605-594-6092 E-mail: faundeen@usgs.gov

Other Information or comments
As the volume and use of data collected worldwide continues to grow exponentially, the effective long-term preservation of and access to these information resources likewise increases in importance. The preservation, management, and archiving of digital S&T data in many cases poses greater, and significantly different, challenges than those in print formats. These challenges are not only technical, but involve new scientific, financial, organizational, management, legal, and policy considerations. Moreover, although many of the challenges that require sustainable solutions are the same for digital data across all disciplines, others are distinct or unique for certain disciplines or data types. Developing countries, in particular, face the greatest hurdles, yet there are very few international and interdisciplinary activities addressing S&T data issues and problems in the developing world context. Resolving the many different problems in the preservation and archiving of scientific data successfully today will bear dividends for many generations to come; the costs of failure would be incalculable, but profound.

The Task Group on Preservation and Archiving of Scientific and Technical Data in Developing Countries has provided a much-needed focus on the data preservation and archiving practices of developing countries. The Task Group is fully consistent with the international and interdisciplinary goals of CODATA, and directly promotes many of the specific organizational objectives of CODATA as set forth in its Constitution and Statement of Mission. The Task Group also helps fulfil some of the important objectives of ICSU and many of its constituent unions, interdisciplinary ICSU bodies, and affiliated organizations such as the International Council for Scientific and Technical Information (ICSTI). The Task Group members are cognizant of many of the other international efforts in digital archiving that are already underway outside the immediate ICSU organization, particularly in the professional records management, archiving, and library communities, and have and will continue to collaborate and coordinate with those other activities in order to avoid unnecessary redundancies and to maximize the effectiveness of the Task Group’s work.

Signed:	William L. Anderson Dated:	2 February 2004

Address: 12 Hayward Place, Rye, NY 10580, U.S.A., Phone: +1 914-9676330, E-mail: band@acm.org

PLEASE SEND SUBMISSIONS (PREFERABLY ELECTRONICALLY)BY 2 February 2004 TO:

Dr. Robert Chen, Secretary General CODATA Secretariat, 51 Bld de Montmorency, 75016 Paris, E-mail: codata2004@dial.oleane.com

Annex A. Executive Summary of the ICSTI/CODATA Portal Proposal
Business Case for a ICSTI-CODATA Portal to Scientific and Technical Data and Information Preservation and Archiving Resources Executive Summary

1.	OBJECTIVE The primary task of an ICST- CODATA portal is to greatly raise the visibility of the issues and activities concerning archiving, and preserving access to scientific and technical data and information internationally. The preliminary objective for the proposed portal is to provide information about and links to: •	Scientific and technical data, and information related to archiving procedures, technologies, standards, and policies; •	Discipline-specific and cross-disciplinary archiving projects and activities; and •	Expert points of contact in all countries, with particular attention to those in developing countries.

2.	BENEFITS The ICSTI/CODATA portal is completely consistent with the goals of these two organizations as well as ICSU and its other member organizations. It provides an internet-based resource not otherwise available, and it supports scientists and data managers in developing countries. And perhaps most importantly, this portal project also can provide a valuable marketing and outreach function for ICSTI, CODATA, and ICSU.

3.	COSTS Project costs are divided into four activity areas. 1.	Development of initial portal content: initial content available, data entry to be done by USNC. Deployment of initial portal content: $2000 (USD) possibly required to deploy initial software platform. Ongoing content management: .2 - .4 FTE required to keep portal content fresh and manage network of portal participants. Editorial work is donated by interested experts. Ongoing system administration: minimal effort required.

4.	PROPOSED STEPS An outline of next steps includes: 1.	Obtain approval from CODATA and ICSTI to proceed with an unfunded development phase. 2.	Develop content of the portal with the bibliographic and other information resources already in hand. 3.	Form a steering committee for guiding the project. 4.	Identify candidates for editorial board members. 5.	Contact representatives of key stakeholder groups to solicit feedback and participation. 6.	Develop a detailed budget and funding plan. 7.	Obtain funding and activate portal.

Steps 1-6 are expected to be completed between December 2003 and November 2004. Step 7 will follow after formal endorsement by CODATA and ICSTI.

Annex B. Preservation and Open Access Workshop – Draft Agenda
Draft 29 January 2004

Workshop on Strategies for the Preservation of and Open Access to Digital Information Resources in China: Opportunities and Challenges

CODATA Task Group on the Preservation and Archiving of S&T Data in Developing Countries

and

Chinese National Committee for CODATA

U.S. National Committee for CODATA ---

PRELIMINARY AGENDA (NOTE: All speakers not yet confirmed)

Workshop Co-chairs: Dr. Chen Yiyu and Dr. Roberta Balstad Miller

Tuesday 22 June:

8:00		Registration

Session 1: Opening Remarks Chair: Prof Liu Chuang, Chinese Academy of Sciences

9:00		Welcoming remarks by workshop co-chairs •	Dr. Chen Yiyu, Chair, Chinese National CODATA Committee, and President, National Natural Science Foundation •	Dr. Roberta Balstad Miller, Chair, U.S. National CODATA Committee, and Director, CIESIN

9:20		Objectives of workshop •	William Anderson, Co-Chair, CODATA Archiving Task Group, and Praxis101 -    scope of discussion -    issues/questions to be discussed -	workshop structure

9:30	Keynote address—Goals of the National Facilities and Information Infrastructure for Science Program •	Dr. Liu Yanhua, Vice President, Ministry of Science and Technology 10:00		Break and group pictures

Session 2: Chair: Prof. Steve Rossouw, CODATA Executive Committee

10:30		International perspectives on preservation of and open access to public scientific information -    U.S. (William E. Wulf, Bruce Alberts, Anita Jones, Charles Vest, John Graham, Jack Marburger) -	UNESCO (Elizabeth Longworth) -	ICSU (Jane Lubchenco, Carthage Smith)

12:00		Lunch

Session 3: Overview of Thematic Areas in China Chair: Dr. Fu Xiaofeng, Ministry of Science and Technology

13:30		Environmental and earth science data •	Prof Sun Shu, Chair, Department of Earth Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences

13:50		Biomedical data •	Prof Liu Depei, President, Chinese Academy of Medicine, and Vice President, Chinese Academy of Engineering

14:10		Scientific, technical, and medical journals •	Prof Gong Ke, Vice President, Tsinghua University

14:30		Questions and answers

14:40		Break

Session 4: Overview of Issue Areas Chair: Paul Uhlir, JD, U.S. National Academies

15:00		Policy and legal -	U.S. speaker (Peter Weiss, U.S. National Weather Service) -	Chinese speaker (Academy of Seismology; Academy of Social Science)

15:40		Institutional and economic factors -	U.S. speaker (Tom Karl, Director, U.S. National Climatic Data Center) -	Chinese speaker (Dr. Zhang Xian’en, Director, Department of Basic Research, Ministry of Science and Technology)

16:20		Management (including technical) factors -	U.S. speaker (Dr. Raymond McCord, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, or Dr. David Lipman, Director, U.S. National Center for Biotechnology Information) -	Chinese speaker (Prof Yan Baoping, Vice Chair, Chinese National CODATA Committee)

17:00		General discussion

17:25		Preparation for Day 2 and announcements

17:30		Adjourn

17:45		Reception

18:30		Dinner

Wednesday 23 June

Session 5: Parallel Issue Sessions

9:00		Parallel issue sessions (individual presentations and panel discussions)

1)	Legal and policy •	Chair •	Rapporteur: Paul Uhlir, JD, U.S. National Academy of Sciences •	Possible speakers and panelists:  Academy of Seismology or Institute of Social Sciences; Lin Xin, Director, Regulation and Copyright Department, MOST; Prof Harlan Onsrud, University of Maine; Peter Suber, University of Maine; OMB rep; Chen Chuanfu, Wuhan University; Peter Weiss, U.S. National Weather Service; Fan Chunliang, Institute of Policy and Management, Chinese Academy of Sciences

2)	Institutional and economic •	Chair •	Rapporteur •	Possible speakers and panelists: Prof Liu Chuang, CAS; Yu Haiying, Associate Director of Grant Department, MOST; Tom Karl, NCDC; Dr. Zhang Xian’en, Director, Department of Basic Research, Ministry of Science and Technology

3)	Management •	Chair •	Rapporteur •	Possible speakers and panelists: Yin Ling, Director XX; John Faundeen, Records Manager, USGS EROS Data Center; Prof Yan Baoping, Vice Chair, Chinese National CODATA Committee; Raymond McCord, Oak Ridge National Laboratory; David Lipman NCBI; Roy Jenne, NCAR

10:30		BREAK

11:00		Continue parallel issue discussions

12:15		LUNCH

Session 6: Parallel Thematic Sessions

13:45		Parallel thematic sessions (individual presentations and panel discussions)

1)	Earth and environmental sciences data •	Chair: Prof Sun Shu, Chair, Department of Earth Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences •	Rapporteur: Dr. Roberta Balstad Miller, Director, CIESIN •	Possible speakers and panelists: Dr. Raymond McCord, Oak Ridge National Laboratory; Prof Menas Kafatos, George Mason University; Roy Jenne, NCAR; Wang Zhiqiang, Deputy Director-General Department of Policy and Regulations, China Meteorological Administration; Prof Liu Chuang

2)	Biomedical data •	Chair: Prof Liu Depei, President, Chinese Academy of Medicine •	Rapporteur:  Belinda Seto, U.S. National Institutes of Health •	Possible speakers and panelists: David Lipman, NCBI; Prof David Botstein, Princeton; Prof Keith Yamamota, University of California San Francisco; Ma Juncai, Institute of Microbiology, CAS

3)	Scientific, technical, and medical journals •	Chair: Prof Gong Ke, Vice President, Tsinghua University •	Rapporteur: •	Possible speakers and panelists: Dr. Zhang, Director of Library of CAS; Peter Suber, University of Maine; Micael Eisen, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab and Public Library of Science; Prof Sun Cheng Quan, Director, Information Center for Natural Resources and Environment; Chinese STM publishing rep.

15:15		BREAK

15:45		Continue parallel thematic discussions

17:30		End of day two

Thursday, 24 June: Session 7: Parallel Session Reports Chair: Lulama Makhubela, South African National Development Agency

9:00		Plenary rapporteur summaries from parallel issue sessions •	Legal and policy •	Institutional and economic •	Data and information management

General Discussion

9:45		Plenary rapporteur summaries from parallel thematic sessions •	Environmental and earth sciences data •	Biomedical data •	Scientific, technical, and medical journals

General Discussion

10:30		BREAK

Session 8: Future Opportunities Chair: Prof Sun Honglie

10:45		Future role of CODATA •	Prof Shuichi Iwata, University of Tokyo, and President, CODATA

11:00		Closing keynote address •	Prof Xu Guanhua, President, MOST, or Sun Shu, Chair, Department of Earth Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences

11:30		Concluding remarks •	Prof Guo Huadong, Director, International Bureau, Chinese Academy of Sciences •	CAST representative •	Prof Liu Chuang, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resource Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences

12:00   	Adjourn

13:30-17:30	Chairs and rapporteurs meet to work on summary report