The Electronic Geophysical Year (eGY) and the World Data Center System

4. The Future of the WDC System

[13] A positive sign for the WDC system is the continuing interest by new scientific communities and countries in establishing new WDCs and WDC infrastructure. There is still a clear need for an international, nongovernmental organization to serve as a coordinating body and quality control mechanism. The WDC system needs to look at approaches taken by other groups that have been more successful in establishing active and sustainable networks of organizations with shared interests and activities. The eGY and its successor could contribute to the development of a new revitalized WDC system.

[14] In 2000, a WDC Modernization Task Team was formed after a meeting of the WDC Directors (http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/wdc/reports/Moderinzation_ReportFinal_121203.pdf). It recommended the evolution of a "Global Science Data Network'' from the existing collection WDCs. The network would include new technologies, new data, new participants, and new organizational principles. The report also recommended the strengthening of the human resources focused on science data management, with a special focus on developing countries. Specifically, it recommended extending the WDC network by establishing new centers and partner sites; modernizing the system by exploiting new technologies; ensuring data stewardship by providing long-term archive & data rescue; and improving communications by initiating liaisons with key international science programs. Unfortunately, there was little real progress carrying out these recommendations. If the eGY was active in this time frame, it would have been a perfect vehicle for the implementation of these ideas.

[15] In May 2007, the WDC Directors again met to discuss the future of the WDC system. More than 35 WDC Directors or their representatives attended the meeting as well as representatives from ICSU, IODE, CODATA, the Group on Earth Observations and FAGS.

[16] Key topics of discussion at this meeting were the International Polar Year (IPY), which is a major international research program that has recognized the need for long-term data stewardship, and the Global Earth Observing System of Systems (GEOSS), which is looking to the WDC system for data management expertise in developing the next generation of international, interoperable Earth observing systems aimed at both scientific and practical applications. The WDCs individually and as a system need to demonstrate their willingness to work with the international scientific community and the Earth Observations community to make the IPY and GEOSS successful not only in terms of current needs, but long-term data accessibility and usability. The eGY was often mentioned at the meeting a potential source of expertise which could lend itself to the WDCs in accomplishing its new goals of network interoperability and general upgrading of information technology expertise of the WDCs.

[17] The major resolutions from the meeting affecting the future of the WDC system included:

[18] The WDCs must strongly and actively support the data management needs of the IPY, a major new program of ICSU.
[19] The WDCs must become an active partner in the planning of the GEOSS data activities.
[20] The WDCs must implement network links between WDCs utilizing interoperable data systems to support current scientific programs. The WDCs must begin to promote the adoption and promotion of standards within the systems in order to achieve this interoperability. The eGY can contribute to this goal.
[21] The WDCs must establish a baseline of IT capabilities that will form the backbone of a Global Science Data Network of WDCs. The eGY can play a critical role in the certification of WDC which will lead to this baseline.
[22] WDCs need to integrate their future IT activities with new state-of-the-art technologies like Virtual Observatories and the activities of the eGY
[23] The WDCs should be open to look at a new paradigm in restructuring the WDC System (virtual WDCs?).

[24] The future is bright for the WDCs. While there are many challenges ahead, the concept of the WDC system developed 50 years ago is still viable. An active and energetic implementation of this concept is needed now more than ever. It is hoped that the WDC and the eGY will cooperate in the future to address the data needs of the scientific community in the 21st century.