Data Set Citation Initiation (1998)
Introduction to
1997-Newly Available Agency
Data Sets that are Significantly Global Change Related
Since its inception, the U.S. Global Change Research Program,
USGCRP, has had the policy that its data and information should have
full and open availability. This policy has already been implemented
not only through the participating agencies but through many
inter-agency mechanisms such as publications, Internet based services,
and in many international settings.
This first of a series of yearly publications represents another
important step in this interagency process of making the data and
information from the USGCRP available. It is particularly needed at
this time since the users of this data and information have expanded
from being primarily researchers to being a full mix that also includes
educators, those making assessments of potential effects of global
change, the commercial world, policy makers at all levels, and the
public.
One of this publication's objectives is to provide this diverse user
community with a concise summary of new data that has been made
available each year. This will be done in both this published form and
in the Global Change Data and Information System on Internet with its
data set's links included. Other objectives, however, are also
important. These include giving recognition to the individuals and
organizations who have made the data available and providing a
mechanism where the data sets used in a publication or assessment can
be cited similarly to traditional literature citations.
To help the user of this publication to understand what is and what
is not in included, the guidelines to the agencies for the data set
citations in this publication as follows:
- Only data sets made newly available in 1997 are included in the
data set list. The data sets listed include those from observations,
the merging of multiple data sets, and produced by models.
- All data sets developed with agency USGCRP funding, plus those
other data sets believed by the agency to be able to significantly
contribute to the USGCRP, are included.
- Each data set is given in the form of a citation with:
- Name(s) of the individual(s) with primary intellectual
responsibility for the data set's development,
- Name of the data set,
- Organization from which the data set is available,
- Month and year that the data set was made available,
- URL for the data set, if available, or for its location.
R. Corell, Chair
CENR Subcommittee on Global Change Research
