NIOZ EN > Research > Data Management
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Why data management

Research data are valuable not only because of the cost and efforts required to obtain them, but also because they are often unique. Funding agencies and international agreements stipulate a timely and unrestricted access to scientific data in order to advance science. For this reason data should be carefully and competently managed. The Data Management Group (DMG) performs this task for NIOZ and on a national level for seagoing and polar research.

Data management

Data management is performed in three steps:

  • Data inventory: Tracking, describe and record data
  • Data archiving: Storing and maintaining data on reliable media in universal format
  • Data disclosure: Provide data access in a structured way
Standardization

Exchange and use of data is possible only when the data is standardized and described in standard format. When managing data DMG meets several international standards, including the ISO-standard metadata formats and the European SeaDataNet standards. Another important standard that is complied with is the standardized use of keywords by which datasets can be searched.

Data-integration and exchange

NIOZ focuses on a national and international embedding of data files and therefore take an active part in various (inter) national organizations for data management, such as the National Oceanographic Data Committee (NODC), the pan-European SeaDataNet project, the European project EMODNet , WaLTER and SCADM. Results of this collaboration can be found in the available 'data portals', such as NODC, SeaDataNet en NPDC.

Data Management Group (DMG)

The objectives of the Data Management Group are:

  • To provide access and to maintain scientific data.
  • Ensuring the highest possible quality in all data sets that are managed by DMG.

These objectives result in the following activities:

  • Identifying, securing and archiving of all relevant data derived from scientific research.
  • Developing and maintaining on-line datasystems that are locally (NIOZ), nationally and internationally accessible.
  • Supporting and advising researchers on all aspects of data management, processing and exchange, particularly for projects funded by NWO and NIOZ.