The FIFE Data Publication Experiment

Department

Program

Citation of Original Publication

Strebel, D. E., D. R. Landis, K. F. Huemmrich, J. A. Newcomer, and B. W. Meeson, 1998: The FIFE Data Publication Experiment. J. Atmos. Sci., 55, 1277–1283, https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0469(1998)055<1277:TFDPE>2.0.CO;2.

Rights

Public Domain Mark 1.0 Universal
This work was written as part of one of the author's official duties as an Employee of the United States Government and is therefore a work of the United States Government. In accordance with 17 U.S.C. 105, no copyright protection is available for such works under U.S. Law.

Subjects

Abstract

The First ISLSCP Field Experiment (FIFE) provided an opportunity to test the concept of data publication for long-term access to valuable scientific data. In analogy with the procedures used in research publication, the FIFE Information System and NASA’s Pilot Land Data System adapted the functions performed by authors, editors, and publishers to an information management environment. Procedures and standards were developed to organize, quality check, document, and review data and associated supporting information for publication on a series of five CD-ROM volumes. The CD-ROM series has been successfully published and is in widespread use in the scientific community. The preliminary indications are that this publication will pass the “20-year test” recommended by a committee of the National Research Council for preserving global change data. It is concluded that the data publication approach, using near-permanent distributable publication units like CD-ROMs, is an important addition to the tools for ensuring the survival of large scientific datasets over long periods