IMPLEMENTING THE OPEN ARCHIVAL INFORMATION SYSTEM (OAIS) REFERENCE MODEL: NSIDC A CASE STUDY

Geoscience data sets are the foundation of education and basic and applied research in the geosciences. Their long-term continuity and viability are of great importance to all aspects of society. Open access to data allows researchers to replicate research results and provides greater understanding of the Earth system. With the advent of new sources of remote sensing data and the technical capability of processing large volumes of data, new models for data management, access and archival are needed for archives, libraries and cultural heritage institutions to properly manage geoscience data sets. The Open Archival Information System (OAIS) Reference Model, a recommendation by the Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems, was developed in part to define an ISO standard for the long-term preservation of digital information. The National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC), a national data archive with expertise in cryospheric research, is adopting the OAIS reference model because it meets the goals we have set out in our mission statement “to excel in managing data and disseminating information in order to advance understanding of the Earth system”.

NSIDC started the process of adopting this model for data stewardship in 2002. At that time a Data Management Policies document was drafted and a Metadata Database project was initiated to unite guardianship efforts across programs and with NSIDC data providers and users. This paper will briefly examine the OAIS model and then discuss the work that NSIDC is doing to implement it. Specific data sets in different stages of acceptance, ingest and archival will be used to illustrate fundamental concepts . Metadata and data format standards, system architecture and documentation will be reviewed.