Utilizing Interdisciplinary Strategies for Next Generation Ecosystem
Experiments Tropics Data Organization
Abstract
Quality metadata and data are critical to advancing science and
preserving data for long-term use. The Next Generation Ecosystem
Experiments (NGEE) Tropics project funded by the U.S. Department of
Energy generates and utilizes ecological, hydrological, and
meteorological data from tropical forests for scientific analysis and
model parameterization. The project’s data team manages an archive for
users to internally curate and publish data with a digital object
identifier (DOI). A key focus of our project is to ensure NGEE Tropics
data can be interpreted and utilized by current and future research
teams. However, the education and participation of project members to
prioritize and be involved in data curation is necessary to reach this
goal. We have taken an interdisciplinary approach involving domain and
data scientists to create a process that makes it easy for scientists to
curate high-quality data packages for archival. First, the NGEE Tropics
Archive and metadata reporting templates (FRAMES) were designed using
user-experience research methods to incorporate user feedback through
interviews and surveys. Upon submission of data packages, thorough
checks are performed to ensure quality expectations are met. Each
dataset is curated individually, and feedback is provided directly to
scientists to identify the optimal data organization for their packages.
The data team also provides training to project members using
presentations, tutorials, and 1:1 training. As a result of our efforts,
package and file-level metadata reporting to the NGEE Tropics archive
fits within the existing workflow of scientists, establishing data
curation as a core aspect of research. By educating the NGEE Tropics
team through integration and communication, we have enabled the
production of quality data packages that are findable, accessible and
usable by any member of the public. This work will enhance the legacy of
NGEE Tropics, and provide a lasting resource for the tropical research
community.