data sharing

[Hugh Wilson]

The 'citation' problem requires some sort of solution, maybe via firm
'versioning' of old datasets to an archive or, perhaps, by including
some sort of record-specific 'edit trail' that would allow the user
to track change.  But, if 'value' relates to public usage, then
priorities should be focused on the broader (non scientific)
potential user base which, I think, could care less about reference
citation.


On  3 Dec 98 at 12:31, R. Zander <bryo at paradox.net> wrote:

> Date:          Thu, 03 Dec 1998 12:31:09 -0500
> From:          "R. Zander" <bryo at paradox.net>
> To:            wilson at BIO.TAMU.EDU
> Cc:            Multiple recipients of list TAXACOM
> Subject:       Re: data sharing

>
>
> Hugh Wilson wrote:
>
>
> > Its also clear that local digital retardation by collections
> > managers will be countered by active organizations that are willing
> > and able to computerize a valuable resource.  However, if
> > self-appointed federal or commercial 'centers' move to 'harvest'
> > collections data they will be gathering *dated* data.  If the
> > collection is not curated then the harvested product is identical to
> > the original.  However,  most collections *are* curated and this
> > usually involves nomenclatural updates and error correction.  Thus,
> > if curatorial changes are reflected by revision of digital data, then
> > those inclined to extract collections data will be using dated data.
> > Some ("government work") might be willing to follow this path but
> > most users will want a fully updated and corrected set of info.
>
>
> Dated data is, like all data of this sort now available on the web, undated. Data
> that is not archived as saying one thing on a particular date makes for problems in
> scientific study. If you cite a particular datum in a paper as
> http://web.whatever.edu/bigdataset.html and the datum is changed (corrected, say)
> to something else, how is the reader to know if you wrongly cited the datum or not?
> Can you imagine a paper in which ALL the data is taken from the web and five years
> later is totally unretrievable? With Html ver. 4 and XML we have great web
> publishing tools, but the archiving/publishing facilities are not in place.
>
> R. Zander
>
> --
>
>
> Richard H. Zander, Curator of Botany
> Patricia M. Eckel, Research Fellow in Botany
> Buffalo Museum of Science
> 1020 Humboldt Pkwy, Buffalo, NY 14211 USA
> bryo at paradox.net   voice: 716-896-5200 ext. 351
>
>
>

Hugh D. Wilson
Texas A&M University - Biology
h-wilson at tamu.edu (409-845-3354)
http://www.csdl.tamu.edu/FLORA/Wilson/homepage.html