DATA AND METADATA INTEROPERABILITY FOR SHARING SCIENTIFIC DATA

The development of specialized data systems to support scientific research has led to important innovations and amazingly accessible digital resources for the modern investigator. However, this explosion has also resulted in a proliferation of interactive and programming interfaces, data and metadata approaches that are difficult to integrate, automate and scale at a sustainable cost. This paper reports the results of two NSF-funded workshops (http://bbe.sdsc.edu/InteropWorkshop) to address this issue and to identify practical methods for improving the ability of scientific data systems to interoperate without compromising their original purposes. The application of these principles will be exemplified by working systems for oceanography, geochemistry and hydrology.