The following are development and information notes on this application/database. Please use the Request / Feedback form for comments or suggestions on improvements.
Catalogue of Australian Antarctic and Subantarctic Metadata
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| Description: | Descriptions of data and links to actual data or related databases. The AAD contributes metadata records to the Antarctic Master Directory which is hosted by the Global Change Master Directory at NASA. |
| Navigation: | |
| Application Group: | General |
| Links to: | |
| Development Status: |
In production |
| Who's responsible: |
Proponet: AADC |
| Languages used: | Java servlets, JSP, Flash, Cold Fusion |
| Relevant Programs |
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| What Data is already loaded | |
| Approximate cardinality of the main recordset | 1,800 |
Adaptation to Environmental ChangeTasks / FAQ's / News / Help messages / Glossary
FAQ
- Metadata can link directly to on-line data.
- Metadata provides international exposure for your research.
- Metadata provides recognition for the effort of data collection. Data are valued more than the immediate publications they can foster.
- Metadata initiates opportunities for collaboration, which may increase the chance of project approval or funding.
- Metadata can be seen as a publication in its own right and therefore another means of gaining recognition.
- Metadata citations may be required for publication in scientific journals.
- SPMC (Scientific Program Managers Committee) and ARAC (Antarctic Research Assessment Committee) strongly support the use of metadata as a fundamental component of effective data management.
- You are required to complete metadata under the ASAC guidelines. Metadata must be submitted to the Data Centre as part of the completion of your AAS (Australian Antarctic Science) Project.
- Metadata promotes data management. It provides an effective method for keeping all information about your datasets in the one place and format, regardless of the format and storage of your actual data.
- Metadata is a valuable tool for location of relevant Antarctic data. Where data are not available on-line, metadata provides details of the custodians for them.
- Metadata provides information to aid data translation for other applications or analysis.
- The investment of effort inherent to datasets may be lost if documentation (metadata) is not written soon after collection.
- Writing metadata does not require "open access" to data, instead it allows for protection of your dataset in a number of ways.
- Metadata reduces the risk of duplicating data collection.
- Metadata provides concise descriptions of datasets and/or projects.
- Metadata allows opportunities for feedback to be made by peers.
- Metadata will be increasingly important in the competitive environment of research science. The broader the promotion, the greater the opportunities for credit/recognition.
- By default all metadata entries are equal because they adhere to standards. This is in contrast to journal publications where some journals carry more influence than others.
- Article III.1.c in the Antarctic Treaty states that: "Scientific observations and results from Antarctica shall be exchanged and made freely available".
- Some or all of the data used within this paper were obtained from the Australian Antarctic Data Centre (IDN Node AMD/AU), a part of the Australian Antarctic Division (Commonwealth of Australia). The data are described in the metadata record "Sea Ice Biota of Coastal Eastern Antarctica" (Swadling 2000).
- Swadling, K. (2000) Sea Ice Biota of Coastal Eastern Antarctica, Australian Antarctic Data Centre - SnoWhite Metadata (http://www.aad.gov.au/metadata)
- to locate data (in the same way a library catalogue is used to find books), and
- to describe datasets in such a way that anyone should be able to use the data.
Does my data immediately have to be made publicly available?
No. You have exclusive access to your data for the first two years. After this time, if you haven't already done so, you will need to lodge your data with the AADC. At this time we prefer to be able to make data publicly available. However, if you have a long term project, and a good reason for keeping your data under wraps, we can keep it locked away. The main thing is to get your data archived in the AADC and described by a metadata record.
What is the value of metadata?
Metadata has a great deal of value. Below are listed some excellent examples of how metadata adds value to your data and your work.
Metadata is used to document all relevant details about datasets. Its searchable interface via the Internet provides international exposure for scientists and their organisations. Metadata is the foundation of data management.
How do other researchers reference my data?
Naturally, once you have submitted your dataset for archival and future use by other researchers, you still want to get the credit for collecting the data in the first place, right?
Well, in order for other researchers to reference your dataset, you need to make sure that it is correctly catalogued with a metadata record. The metadata record tells other researchers where to find your dataset and provides a direct link between it and your details.
Metadata records are referenced in the same way that scientific papers are.
The Australian Antarctic Data Centre requires that if you, as a scientist, use metadata or data from another researcher in a publication, that you reference it as follows:
First of all, if you used data collected by another researcher, and accessed the data via the Australian Antarctic Data Centre, the following statement must be included in the acknowledgements section of your publication (an example metadata record is used) -
Secondly, if you cited another researchers metadata, in your bibliography the metadata record must be referenced as follows (an example metadata record is once again used) -
If you have any questions, then please go to our feedback/request database.
I have found a metadata record of the dataset I am looking for, how can I access the data?
Hopefully the dataset that you are looking for will be available online. Have a look towards the bottom of the metadata record for a section called "Related URL". If the dataset is available online, then you will find a link here to download the data. Failing this, have a look at the section called "Access Constraints". This section may provide instructions on how to physically access the data. If this also fails, then it may be that we do not have the data archived here in the AADC - in this case you should contact the investigator or the techincal contact directly and ask them for the data.
Is my data protected in the same way as a research paper?
Yes. Other researchers are required to reference your data in the same way that they would reference a paper.
See the point below on "How do other researchers reference my data?" for more information.
Can you show me some examples of metadata records?
Click on the following links to see some examples of metadata records.
Effects of UV radiation on community establishment: a global perspective
Ecological Relationships of Antarctic Tardigrades
Aurora Australis SAZ Southern Ocean oceanographic data, cruise au9701
Prevalence of viruses and parasites in populations of house mice on Macquarie Island
What's the best way to send my data to the AADC?
If your data files are less than 30 MB in size, then you can use our online Electronic Data Submission system (EDS) to send them to us. Simply zip them up and complete the Submit Antarctic Data form. If they are larger than this, you may have to physically post them to us on a CD or DVD, or arrange for an FTP transfer. Contact us via our feedback/request database for more information.
What are my data obligations?
Once you have a dataset that is ready to be archived in the Data Centre, it is necessary to ensure that it is adequately described with a metadata record.
The metadata record should contain information that will enable users to easily interpret the data (for example, if your data are held in a spreadsheet, the metadata record should explain what column headings mean, what the units are etc).
Once you have written the metadata record you need to send your dataset to the Scientific Data Coordinator at the Data Centre. To decide on how best to do this, contact the Scientific Data Coordinator via our feedback/request database. Depending on the size of the dataset then you can either use email, FTP, or the post, to send it to the Data Centre.
When sending your dataset to the Data Centre, you should ensure that it is in a universally accepted format. If a special program is needed to view your data, then the Data Centre should be informed.
The Scientific Data Coordinator, upon receiving your dataset, will check it to make sure that it is in an acceptable format. Then, provided that you, the scientist, agree, or the two year deadline since data collection has passed (see the Data Management Policy), the dataset will then be made publicly available on the Data Centre's servers.
The Scientific Data Coordinator will attach your dataset to your metadata record, enabling it to be located with a search of the metadata catalogue.
What is the Antarctic Master Directory?
The Antarctic Master Directory (AMD) is a large metadata database maintained by the Global Change Master Directory (GCMD). It contains metadata records from the National Antarctic Data Centres (NADCs) of each of the Antarctic Treaty nations. Data from each of the NADCs is availalble via their national portals (look under the heading "Cryosphere").
Search for records in the Antarctic Master Directory
Enter metadata records directly into the AMD
Metadata tools (from the Global Change Master Directory)
How do I create, edit, or delete my metadata records?
Every aspect of metadata entry or modification is via the Internet.
Creation: A new metadata record should be created for each dataset. A dataset might be data from an instrument or person, for example: a set of visual whale observations, or data from an automatic weather station.
If you are unsure, please contact the Metadata Officer to explain or assist metadata entry.
Deletion:Metadata records can only be deleted by request. Should you wish to delete a metadata record, please contact the Metadata Officer.
The process for entering or editing metadata will change with our new system - this information will be updated soon.
What is metadata for?
Metadata describes important information about a dataset, such as where data were collected, when data were collected, and who collected them. Metadata, ideally, also provides a direct link to an online copy of the dataset.
Metadata conforms to a standard format ensuring that different datasets are described in a consistent manner. The standard currently in use by the Australian Antarctic Data Centre - and by the entire Antarctic Community - is Directory Interchange Format (DIF) maintained by the Global Change Master Directory (GCMD).
Metadata is used for two purposes:
Due to the greater amount of information contained in a metadata entry compared to the entries in a library catalogue, metadata can be used to describe all types of data, from paper records to biological samples to digital databases, and even research projects which have just commenced.
Under the Antarctic Treaty, all scientific information is meant to be "fully and freely exchanged." The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Data Management (SCADM) is the group responsible for managing Antarctic scientific data.
