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DATA MANAGEMENT - YOU CAN'T MONITOR WITHOUT IT
Citation:
Harwell, L C. AND J K. Summers. DATA MANAGEMENT - YOU CAN'T MONITOR WITHOUT IT. Presented at Estuarine Research Federation: Estuaries on the Edge, Seattle, WA, Sep. 14-18, 2003.
Description:
With the vast amount of data collected by various monitoring activities, it is little wonder that "data management" has become a routine catch phrase used in environmental research. All too often, however, scientific data management is viewed simply as a "schema" (database design) into which data is transcribed and stored, or even worse, amassed while data management is planned post hoc. Consequently, many data managers have faced data integration dilemmas that have resulted in product delays, less than ideal data, unexpected costs, and in extreme cases, "data purgatory." The most successful monitoring programs have endured by simply making data management an integral component of the scientific planning process - satisfying both the scientific and technological data requirements. Data management planning should incorporate elements supporting data consistency for research partnerships, data integrity, and appropriate documentation. In recognizing that data management planning doesn't end with database design, we identify and resolve data integration issues and offer an effective approach for managing ecological data.