Workshop Proposal

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An International Workshop

U.S. National Committee for CODATA

Brazilian National Committee for CODATA

and

CODATA Task Group on Preservation of and Access to Scientific and Technical Data in Developing Countries

Contents

[edit] Summary

This workshop, proposed to be held in late September 2006, will provide an international and interdisciplinary forum to promote a deeper understanding of, and requirements for, long-term preservation of and open access to digital scientific information resources for sustainable development in Latin America. The workshop will be hosted by the Brazilian Reference Center on Environmental Information (CRIA), pursuant to the following statement of task:

1. Review and discuss the current status of practices for sharing of and permanent access to scientific information resources related to sustainable development, primarily health and biomedical data, earth and environmental science data, biodiversity data, and related scientific, technical, and medical (STM) literature in Latin America.

2. Identify and discuss the scientific, legal and policy, institutional and economic, and management and technical factors relevant to permanent access to digital scientific information resources discussed in objective 1, including an examination of different possible models and their potential benefits and shortcomings in Latin America, and drawing on examples of other digital permanent access practices in related areas. Identify and invite organizations and individuals that are already implementing successful approaches and analyze their methods and challenges.

3. Identify follow-up activities that can be taken toward improving permanent access for each major type of digital scientific information resources discussed in objective 1, taking into consideration the results of the discussions under objectives 1 and 2.

4. Provide a networking opportunity for future collaborative activities for workshop speakers and attendees across discipline, institutional, and national boundaries.

[edit] Background

Scientific research and education everywhere are increasingly driven by digital data and information. At the same time, scientific databases and information resources tend to be difficult to manage, disseminate, and use effectively. This is certainly true for data and information relating to critical health and environment issues in sustainable development. The successful preservation of and access to these, and other, scientific information resources is essential for advancing not only scientific and technical progress in Latin America, but also to build capacity in research and education, and to promote social welfare, sustainable economic growth, and good governance.

The effective long-term preservation of and meaningful access to scientific information resources in all countries increases in importance because they are essential components of the global public research and education infrastructure, which can now be integrated through the Internet. The challenges in storing and maintaining access to these growing collections of data and information are substantial, for both developed and developing countries. Moreover, although many of the challenges that require sustainable solutions are the same for digital data and information across all disciplines, others are distinct or unique to certain disciplines or types of information. Some solutions may be based on extending or emulating existing successful models, while others may benefit from entirely new approaches that are context-dependent. In addition, the growing availability of affordable and usable digital networks in even the least developed countries makes enabling and providing access to data and information resources from other countries, including the United States and other OECD countries, especially important.

Resolving the many different problems in the preservation of digital scientific information resources successfully today will provide great benefits for future generations; the costs of inaction will be incalculable, but certain to be substantial. It is important to recognize, however, that even the most economically developed countries have encountered many difficulties in providing permanent access to essential digital data and information. Moreover, there also are legitimate reasons for restricting access, based on important considerations of personal privacy, national security, and proprietary concerns. The identification and analysis of these and many other issues is needed to develop sustainable long-term plans for permanent access to digital information resources in the Latin American context.

The sustainable development of Latin America faces important challenges relating to public health and the environment, and provides a compelling focal point for exploring these informatics issues in detail. Educating and informing policymakers and the public about problems such as the spread of infectious diseases, managing fragile ecosystems, conserving water resources, and protecting biodiversity today depends on preserving and accessing many different digital information resources.

The Committee on Data for Science and Technology (CODATA), an interdisciplinary committee of the International Council for Science, has initiated a series of workshops focused on the issues related to preservation and access of scientific information resources in developing countries. These workshops are being co-organized by the U.S. National Committee (USNC) for CODATA in collaboration with local national CODATA committees and with the CODATA Task Group on Preservation and Archiving of Scientific and Technical Data in Developing Countries. Since 2002, these CODATA groups have organized five workshops:

  • “Access to Environmental Data,” an inter-American workshop held in Campinas, Brazil in March 2004 (see: http://www.codata.org/FINAL Summary Report on Inter American Workshop.pdf for the workshop report).
  • “Strategies for Permanent Access to Scientific Information in Southern Africa: Focus on Health and Environmental Information for Sustainable Development,” in Pretoria, South Africa in September 2005 (workshop report pending publication in January 2006; see http://stardata.nrf.ac.za/html/workshopCodata1.html for background information on this event).

In addition to these past CODATA workshops, the proposed workshop for the Latin American region will also take into account the results of the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), and both phases of the recent World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS). Both of these U.N.-sponsored events focused on the issues related to the bridging the divide—economic, technical, and cultural—between developed and developing countries. Long-term availability of and access to scientific information resources will accelerate progress on those goals. The proposed workshop will directly address issues such as the lack of access to data and information needed for decision making for sustainable development policies and for supporting higher education programs. It will also highlight examples of pilot projects and other programs that are supporting the U.N. Millennium Goals and addressing the issues identified at the WSSD and WSIS. Issues related to the preservation of information from indigenous knowledge systems, especially important in the health and environment areas in Latin America, will be addressed as well.

Finally, the workshop will expressly follow up on the recommendations in the International Council for Science (ICSU) new Strategic Plan for data and information activities by bringing together all of the ICSU organizations involved in such activities in the workshop planning and participation. The workshop also will actively promote the goals of the new Global Information Commons for Science Initiative, launched by CODATA together with ICSU and other international scientific umbrella organizations at the WSIS in November 2005.

[edit] Intellectual Merit of the Proposed Activity

The proposed workshop in Latin America in 2006 will build on the results of previous related activities, as well as on the findings of previous reports and activities of the National Academies (see list of publications at the end) and of other organizations on various aspects of digital information preservation and access in the health and environment contexts. The workshop will take an interdisciplinary perspective and explore in detail the various scientific, legal and policy, institutional and economic, and management and technical aspects that need to be addressed in successfully implementing accessible archives of digital scientific information resources relating to health and sustainable development in Latin America. Many of the issues identified and discussed during the workshop will likely apply throughout the region and more broadly in the developing world, as discussed further below. The workshop plans will be coordinated with the U.S. Embassies in all the Latin American (?) countries.

From the perspective of the U.S. scientific community, the permanent access policies and practices promoted in the Latin American region are expected to improve the availability of data and information resources in future cooperative activities between U.S. researchers and those in the Latin American (?) countries. To cite a recent example from a very similar activity, China’s newly formulated national scientific data sharing plan was highlighted at the June 2004 workshop in Beijing; this policy will enhance long-term access to scientific information resources in that country and internationally. The proposed workshop in the Latin American region is intended to provide a similar stimulus toward greater openness and better stewardship of digital information resources in that region, which will be a benefit to U.S. researchers and students involved in studies there. It also will provide an excellent networking opportunity for the U.S. experts who attend the meeting, as well as a forum for federal science agencies to promote cooperation and other programmatic priorities in related areas.

[edit] Broader Impacts of the Proposed Activity

One of the main tasks of the workshop will be to identify follow-up activities (e.g., workshops, data networks, publications, portals, training, and other new collaborations) that can be taken toward improving access to and preservation of digital scientific information resources relating to sustainable development, not only in Latin America, but in other developing countries. The workshop will provide some much needed focus to these generally under-appreciated problems. It will generate additional high-level attention by bringing together digital archivists, librarians, data managers, researchers, policymakers, representatives of universities and Academies of Science, non-governmental organizations, international organizations, and public and private donor and development institutions from Latin America, the United States, and other countries, who will be able to integrate the results of this project into their future planning and activities. A significant effort will be made to involve graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, who represent the next generation of experts that will lead the activities in this area.

[edit] Planned Activities

The proposed workshop will provide an international and interdisciplinary forum to promote a deeper understanding of, and requirements for, long-term preservation and open access to health and environmental information resources for sustainable development in Latin America. The workshop will be held in Campinas, Brazil in September 2006.

The workshop will be organized jointly by the U.S. and Brazilian National CODATA Committees and the international CODATA Task Group on the Preservation of and Access to Scientific and Technical Data in Developing Countries. The Brazilian Reference Center on Environmental Information (CRIA), the Brazilian Academy of Sciences, and other regional organizations will provide local logistical support and assist in meeting planning. The International Council for Scientific and Technical Information (ICSTI) the International Network for the Availability of Scientific Publications (INASP), and the World Data Centers (WDCs) will provide additional substantive expertise.

An international ad hoc planning committee will be formed to develop the workshop program, identify speakers and topics, and generally oversee the planning activities leading up to the workshop. This work will be done by e-mail, fax, and phone. A local organizing committee consisting of individuals from the collaborating organizations for the workshop also will be formed to help with the local logistics, arrangements, and program development. CRIA, which hosted the 2004 Inter-American workshop on Access to Environmental Data noted above, will host this meeting as well.

Extensive discussions will be held in advance of the workshop with the planning group members and with the local country organizers and collaborating organizations to identify appropriate examples in the areas of health and the environment, and to select the speakers, in order to make the workshop of greatest potential benefit to the attendees and intended audience. The meeting is expected to be organized according to the following general approach:

Day 1: The entire day will be devoted to plenary presentations and panel discussions by Latin American policy makers and foreign experts on the topics in statements of task 1 and 2, with particular focus on policy issues.

Day 2: The first part of the second day will be a continuation of the plenary session from the first day, focusing on the remaining issues from statements of task 1 and 2. The second part of the day will start with the five parallel thematic sessions focusing on health and biomedical data, earth and environmental science data, biodiversity data, indigenous knowledge systems in the health and environment areas, and the related STM literature. Other thematic sessions may be added by the cooperating organizations, depending upon interest and available resources. During these initial parallel sessions, speakers will provide background presentations that will serve as a basis for a moderated discussion on the morning of the third day. The end of the second day will be devoted to poster presentations and technical demonstrations highlighting local, regional, and international projects and initiatives that foster the preservation and sharing of scientific data and information resources to promote sustainable development.

Day 3: The morning of the third day will continue with the parallel thematic sessions. This portion of the sessions will consist of moderated panel discussions, as well as broader discussions with all the session attendees. These sessions will build on the results of the preceding plenary discussions and will be guided by the issues identified in task 3. The afternoon session will consist of the rapporteur summaries from the thematic sessions and a discussion of future opportunities and follow-on activities. The focus for the output will be on identifying specific initiatives (e.g., research collaborations, policy initiatives, workshops, data networks, publications, portals, and training) that will build on past experience, existing work, and the leveraging of resources. The workshop will conclude with a general plenary discussion and closing comments by the workshop co-chairs.

The workshop is expected to have approximately 100 core attendees (see the categories of speakers, experts, and attendees listed under Broader Impacts of the Proposed Activity above). Latin American and U.S. experts in the relevant disciplines and applications will be invited to speak at the meeting and provide technical demonstrations. Young researchers and graduate students will be encouraged to participate as well. The workshop will be structured to allow for maximum exposure to the relevant issues relating to scientific information resource sharing and permanent access, and for sufficient time for workshop attendees to interact and network, in support of task 4.

A summary report will be prepared and published by the Brazilian Reference Center on Environmental Information, with support from the co-organizers of this project, and will be broadly disseminated by the collaborating organizations.

[edit] Outreach and Communication

There are several anticipated results of the workshop. First, the workshop will constitute a major effort toward outreach and communication about these issues within the research establishments of Latin America. A large mailing list is being assembled in consultation with the collaborating organizations and external governmental and non-governmental groups in the research, library, and permanent access communities in Latin America and other developing countries, both to invite attendance at the workshop and to subsequently disseminate the results.

Second, as previously mentioned, there will be a summary of the workshop published online and on CDs by the Brazilian Reference Center on Environmental Information, and a special edition of the international CODATA’s Data Science Journal will be published to highlight selected papers from the workshop. These publications will be made freely and openly available.

Third, the planning group co-chairs and other workshop participants also are expected to give presentations subsequently about the results of the workshop at various professional meetings and conferences.

Fourth, substantial efforts will be made to communicate information about the workshop via the Web sites of the collaborating organizations and of the project sponsors. For example, the main mechanism for information dissemination and outreach for the USNC/CODATA is its Web site (www7.nationalacademies.org/usnc-codata), which includes information about the Committee’s major activities and results, as well as links to related sites. Similarly, the CRIA Web site (http://www.cria.org.br/) serves as that organization’s principal outreach mechanism. These sites will be used to disseminate information about the workshop as well as to post the workshop presentations. The international CODATA will be another major vehicle for outreach, both through its Web site (www.codata.org) and its international listserv. The sponsors of this activity will be requested to publicize the results through their Web sites and distribution networks as well.

Finally, CODATA and ICSTI are planning to launch an international portal on Permanent Access to Scientific Information in 2006. This portal will also be used to publicize the workshop, its results, and follow-on activities.

[edit] Collaborations with Other Organizations

International coordination and collaboration about the issues being discussed in this project are a major reason why this workshop is being planned. As previously mentioned, the workshop itself is a collaborative effort of the Brazilian and U.S. National CODATA Committees, and the CODATA Task Group on Preservation and Archiving of Scientific and Technical Data in Developing Countries. These groups are also working with CRIA, the Brazilian Academy of Sciences, ICSTI, INASP, and WDCs to organize the workshop. In addition, the collaborating organizations have established networks of experts that they will turn to for guidance on workshop topics, speakers, and attendees. The collaboration among the ICSU groups is a follow up to the new ICSU Strategic Plan on data and information activities, as well as on the new Global Information Commons for Science Initiative recently launched by CODATA.

This activity also will be coordinated with a number of other international, regional, and national entities. At the international level, this will include collaboration with some of CODATA’s other Task Groups, such as the joint ICSU/CODATA Working Group on Data Access, and with ICSU, through its proposed Regional Office in Latin America, and with other interested ICSU groups, such as the Panel on World Data Centers, the International Geosphere-Biosphere Program, and the aforementioned ICSTI and INASP, among others. The organizers also will collaborate with the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, the World Health Organization, the United Nations Environment Program, the United Nations Development Program, the Global Earth Observations System of Systems program, and with other U.N. specialized agencies and donor institutions, as appropriate. Finally, at the international level, coordination is planned with the InterAcademy Panel on International Issues, which has a current initiative on Access to Scientific Information in Developing Countries.

At the regional and national levels, the organizers of the workshop will coordinate with major universities and relevant ministries, as well as with regional organizations and programs, such as the Organization of American States, the Inter-American Development Bank, the Pan-American Health Organization, the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research, the Inter-American Geospatial Data Network, the Permanent Committee on Spatial Data Infrastructure for the Americas (PC IDEA), the Inter-American Biodiversity Information Network and the North American Biodiversity Information Network, and the Mesoamerican Information System About Biodiversity. At the national level, substantial involvement is expected from the Latin American Academies of Science and relevant national ministries.

The USNC/CODATA’s collaboration with the Brazilian National CODATA Committee and CODATA’s Task Group on the Preservation and Archiving of Scientific and Technical Data in Developing Countries will involve joint planning of the workshop, including identification of issues to be addressed, speakers, other invitees, and meeting schedule. All collaborating parties will have separate, but coordinated, estimates of costs that will be used to bring speakers to the meeting. The Brazilian National CODATA Committee will pay primarily for Latin American speakers and organizers, the international CODATA for other international expert speakers and organizers, and the USNC/CODATA for speakers and expert attendees from the United States. Although the CRIA and the workshop rapportuers will have responsibility for editing and producing the summary report, the publicity and dissemination of the proceedings will be done collaboratively by the co-organizers.

[edit] Report Dissemination

The workshop summary report will be available to the public and widely disseminated, without restriction, on the Web sites of the collaborating organizations and on CD-ROMs for easier distribution in Latin America. The sponsors of the project also will be asked to use their dissemination networks and to provide suggestions for outreach. The other mechanisms listed above in the Outreach and Communication section will be used as well.

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