DataONE: Preserving Data and Enabling Data-Intensive Biological and Environmental Research

Addressing grand environmental science challenges requires unprecedented access to easily understood data that cross the breadth of temporal, spatial, and thematic scales. From a scientist's perspective, the challenges lie in discovering the relevant data, dealing with data heterogeneity, and converting data to information and knowledge. Solving these challenges requires new approaches for managing, preserving, sharing and analyzing data. DataONE (Observation Network for Earth) represents a virtual organization whose goal is to enable new science and knowledge creation through preservation and access to data about life on Earth and the environment that sustains it. DataONE supports science through facilitating easy, secure, and persistent storage of data and disseminating integrated and user-friendly tools for data discovery, analysis, visualization, and decision-making. DataONE engages its community of partners through working groups focused on identifying and implementing the DataONE cyberinfrastructure, governance, and sustainability models. These working groups, which consist of a diverse group of graduate students, educators, government representatives, and leading computer, information, and library scientists: (1) adapt interoperability standards; (2) create value-added technologies (e.g., semantic mediation, scientific workflow, and visualization) that facilitate data integration, analysis, and understanding; (3) address socio-cultural barriers to sustainable data preservation and data sharing; and (4) promote the adoption of best practices for managing the full data life cycle.