ACCESS AS THE FUTURE OF GEOSCIENCE DATA PRESERVATION

The future of geoscience data preservation lies with access. Data preservation efforts are shaped by many factors, including resource availability, technology, preservation standards, geoscience community needs and funding agency requirements. However, to be successful a data preservation project must have the proper foundation. Successful data preservation requires uninterrupted resources for the long term, preferably spread among multiple constituents as insurance. Data originators must have strong incentives to participate in preservation. The preserving organization must have an organizational commitment to the activities necessary to acquire, manage, and maintain data in digital or physical format with a view towards “forever.” That is a great deal to ask of participants in the data preservation process. When it is too much to ask, preservation efforts fall into disarray. Since most organizations that create or manage geoscience data have usage, rather than preservation, of data as central to their missions it is access that must ultimately drive and support preservation efforts. Access to the data provides the common stake for the participants.