Scientific Data Standards and Exchange: Capacity Development
A policy maker interested in retrieving information from the CGIAR about a particular country would need to identify all relevant scientific databases through the individual CGIAR Center Web sites, manually retrieve pieces of information and consolidate them. This process is becoming more and more lengthy and a lot of valuable information sources remain undiscovered or not properly used.
Today's challenge is the development of an information architecture to address these and other obstructions for the effective use of biodiversity resources on the web. This reflects the growing motivation of CGIAR scientists to build a collection of CGIAR biodiversity resource discovery and integration tools: the information tide is rising, but the ability to harness it is in its infancy.
Prior to the implementation of complex information systems capturing
dispersed information sources across scientific communities, CGIAR
scientists and collaborators require a minimum agreement on data standards
and Web information technologies. The adoption of a simple set of data
standards coupled with the latest technology in Internet information
technology (such as web services) will be the main building blocks toward
the implementation of a comprehensive CGIAR information
infrastructure.
Objectives
This
activity will train key CGIAR staff in the latest technologies and
standards in use by the international scientific communities for managing
scientific information and will develop a strategy for implementing
appropriate information architecture within the CGIAR for maximizing
access to this information, in tandem with the development of the VRC.
Outcomes:
The
outcomes of this activity will be:
- Trained staff
- A CGIAR strategy for information networking of scientific databases
- An implementation workplan within each of the scientific communities for the next phase of the ICT-KM Program.
Lead Administrative
Center
International Plant Genetic Resources Institute
(IPGRI)
Project
Coordinator
Samy Gaiji, SINGER Project Leader
System-wide Genetic Resources Programme (SGRP), IPGRI.
Project
Status
Expected Commencement date: January
2005
Planned duration of project: 8 months
For More
Information
Contact us at ictkm@cgiar.org