Practical Advice to Data Centers to Make Data more FAIR

Abstract

The polar research community has a long history of leadership in promoting open and collaborative data sharing. The first International Polar Year in 1882 made the first call for harmonious meteorological observations. The Antarctic Treaty of 195x requires open data sharing across nations. The most recent IPY of 2007-8 had a forward looking data policy which fostered interdisciplinary and ethical data sharing (Rapley et al. 2004, Parsons et al. 2011a). Yet, while a pioneer in data sharing, the polar community still struggles to make their data truly “Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable” (FAIR) as per Wilkinson et al. (2016). We struggle because “polar” does not represent a discipline or any particular perspective. Instead, we take an integrative and systemic view that includes many types of observations, disciplines, and ways of knowing. We make use of modern remote and “smart” sensors as well as evolving, centuries-old knowledge embedded in oral tradition. We serve researchers, policy- and decision-makers, private companies, and local communities. We try not to privilege any single perspective as we try to understand a dynamic and changing geography with global impact.