Open Data: how we cope with them…
“OPEN ACCESS TO EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH”
May 13, 2014
Jan Haspeslagh
Librarian
Heike Lust
Information manager

Overview
The process
• Archiving
• Documenting
• QC & Integration
• Publishing
• Redistribition
The data policy

Archiving
Documenting
QC
Publishing
Integration
The process

Archiving http://mda.vliz.be

Archiving
Documenting
Metadata discovery:
• Responsibles
• Access rights
• Parameters
• Coverage: time, geography,
taxonomy, …
• Relations to other datasets
• Publications
Goal:
Maximum searchability
and retrieval

Archiving
Documenting
Technical:
• Storage software
• Checksum & size
• ‘Material & methods’
• Hierarchy
• Units
• Formula’s, calculations
• …
Goal:
Correct interpretation &
future usability

Archiving
Documenting

Archiving
Documenting
QC
Integration
QC: all elements available for correct reading, use and
analysis of data?
Integration: Combining data from different sources and
providing users with a unified view of these data

Publishing
Integrated Marine Information SystemIMIS
→ Module Datasets: ISO 19115 discovery metadata
→ Module Literature: ISBD & ASFIS metadata standards

Marine Date Archive - MDA
&
Open Marine Archive - OMA
•Permanent archive for data and publications
•Fully documented
•Easy online archival & information tool

Publishing
→ Module Datasets
Crossreferenced!
→ Module Literature
Redistribution
Open Marine Archive
&
Open Data

Archived original dataset
Integrated datasets
publication

In development: DOI & Data Citation
data citation & DOI linking will be made possible:
Different versions of a dataset each having their own citation (according to Data Cite) & DOI link.
DOI is referring to different versions of the data on the MDA.
citation
DOI link to the
MDA-
data version
Citation and link to
other (older)
versions
of the data

DOI & relation with IMIS & MDA
MDA-
download
IMIS
(citation)
DOI

Integration of datasets
into biodiversity database

(Elements of) published
dataset linked to other
end-user products

Data policy at VLIZ http://www.vliz.be/en/data-policy
•based on IOC oceanographic data exchange policy
•VLIZ advocates free data exchange
•open metadata
•data whose primary source is VLIZ are always made
publicly available
•customised data policy in consultation with the data
owner
•Recognition of the data source is always needed
Main challenges:
•Convincing scientists to openly share their data
•No mandates, all is voluntary!

jan.haspeslagh@vliz.be
heike.lust@vliz.be