http://www.e-sddc.org/
Scientific and technical (S&T) data constitute an important resource for innovation and support in all four of the focus areas listed above, and more generally for the social and economic development in the information society. As discussed below, we focus our attention on "governance", specifically on the policy and practice associated with the open access to and preservation of governmental or publicly-funded S&T data. It is worthwhile to quote from a 2004 UNESCO publication, "Policy Guidelines on the Development and Promotion of Governmental Public Domain Information", which was written by one of our group members. As that report describes,
"there are many reasons for making the greatest possible amount of information produced by government entities openly available at the lowest possible cost to the public. It is worthwhile to summarize them:
- Transparency of governance and democratic values are undermined by restricting citizens' access to and use of public data and information. As a corollary, citizens' rights of freedom of expression are compromised by restrictions on re-dissemination of public sector information, and particularly of factual data. It is no coincidence that the most repressive political regimes have the lowest levels of available information and the greatest restrictions on expression;
- The tax-payer pays for the production of the information. Therefore, a government entity needs no legal incentives from exclusive property rights that are conferred by intellectual property laws to create or invest in the production of information, unlike authors or investors in the private sector. Both the activities that the government undertakes, and the information produced by the government through those activities, have 'public good' characteristics;
- There are numerous supplementary benefits that can be realized on an accelerated basis by the open dissemination of public domain data and information on the Internet. Many such benefits are not quantifiable and extend well beyond the economic sphere to include social welfare, educational, cultural, and good governance values - all supportive of national development objectives.
"These benefits of openness in the management of public sector information and the legal designation of that information as being freely available are not absolute, however. They must be balanced against legitimate countervailing and superseding interests arising from the protection of national security, personal privacy, obligations of confidentiality, and private intellectual property rights. The level of active dissemination of public sector information also should be considered in the broader framework of national policies and priorities.
"Nevertheless, as a guiding principle, information produced by public entities in all branches and at all levels should be presumed to be available to the public, and any formal exceptions preventing citizens from accessing public information should be specifically justified and formulated as narrowly as possible. National governments should be encouraged to expand access to various types of public information resources and, as appropriate, to re-assess the balance between the existing policies and practices for making those information resources available and the legal protections that restrict use or reuse of such information. In addition, all publicly funded inter-governmental organizations should provide open access to all their publications and public databases, especially to potential users in developing countries, free of charge."
Factual S&T and other data from public sources constitute a large part of all governments' information resources in both the developed and developing world. Unfortunately, however, since the introduction of the internet the digital divide between the developing and the developed countries, including between the rich and poor regions within countries, for accessing all types of information, including S&T data, has become a challenging issue to which international organizations have to pay more attention. The recently concluded two-phase World Summit on the Information Society clearly established in its Plan of Action that one of the great needs and opportunities is how to make the right strategy and suitable policy in developing countries for long-term preservation of and open access to S&T (and other public) data, as well as to add value in the application of such data for development objectives. The experiences of our Task Group since 2002 from our activities in China, South Africa and Brazil (and from other developing countries through our diverse members) have focused on the issues raised above.
Objectives
- Promote a deeper understanding of the needs of developing countries with regard to long-term preservation of and access to scientific and technical (S&T) data.
- Advance the development and adoption of improved S&T data archiving and access procedures, technologies, standards, and policies, with special attention to these efforts in developing countries.
- Provide an interdisciplinary forum and mechanisms for exchanging information about S&T data strategies, policies and activities, with particular focus on the concerns and needs of developing countries. Publish and disseminate broadly the results of these efforts.
Deliverables
- Develop a Web-based information network.
The Web site focused on the issues above was established in 2002. Our group will continue to keep the Web site updated and expanded. This will provide the capability for our group to interact with the broader Community of Expertise and to publicize the achievements and the activities of our group to the community.
- Continue a series of workshops in developing and transitional countries/regions on the strategy for policy and practice on preservation of and access to digital S&T data in developing countries.
The group already has hosted two workshops since 2002, in Beijing, China in 2004, and Pretoria, South Africa in 2005. Another workshop on the strategy and policy of preservation of and access to S&T data in the South American region will be held in March of 2007 in Brazil. We plan two more workshops in 2007-2008: in India and in Ukraine and the former Soviet Union countries. Each of these workshops will produce an openly available online summary report and proceedings, as well as recommend specific actions for follow-up.
- Deliver to the broader community of expertise thematic reports in both paper and electronic formats.
Two reports from the Beijing China 2004 Workshop and Pretoria South African Workshop 2005 had been published already by the US National Academy Press and the South African National Research Foundation, in 2005 and 2006. These reports, available in both paper and electronic formats, provide focused examples and recommendations on access and digital preservation to the scientific communities and decision makers in the two countries, and to the communities of practice in developing countries throughout the world. Delivering additional community thematic reports from the two additional regions noted above is one of the major proposed actions of our group.
Lead organization
Global Change Information and Research Center, Institute of Geography and Natural Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences and ICSU/CODATA Task Group on Preservation of and Access to S&T Data in Developing Countries
Partners
- The Administrative Center for China's Agenda 21, Ministry of Science and Technology of China
- University of the Witswatersrand, South African
- National Chemical Laboratory, SMIS Division, INDIA
- South African National Committee for CODATA
- ICIMOD, International Center for Integrated Mountain Development
- Information and Computer Center, National Environmental Protection, Mongolia
- Dr. Alexander M. Sterin
- National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Thailan
- Prof. Morakot Tanticharoen
- Mr. Assize Toure
- Reference Center on Environmental Information, Brazil
- The Council for the Central Laboratory of the Research Councils (CCLRC), Rutherford Appleton Laboratory
- Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Carleton University
- Information Network Center, Beijing Science and Technology University
- Scientific Data Sharing Program, Ministry of Science and Technology of China
- University of Tokyo, Institute of Industrial Science
- The US National Academies
- National Research Foundation, South Africa