Strategies for NIS Development Improve the overall effectiveness of site information systems Enhance discovery of information across sites Enhance access to information across sites Enhance synthesis and integration of information across sites Leverage partnerships with other organizations to develop critical tools Promote interaction among CI developers, scientists, and information managers Educate full LTER community on NIS goals and technologies Promote increases and strategic allocation of resources for NIS development

Improve the overall effectiveness of site information systems Establish a tiered trajectory to improve IM functionality at the sites (NISAC) IMExec/IM Committee produced draft (Sep 2003) NISAC revised and submitted to CC for approval (Apr 2004) CC approved (Apr 2004) NISAC proposes metrics for site improvement of position within trajectory NISAC monitors progress (could be IMExec or may include self-evaluation) Develop site IM evaluation criteria (NISAC, IMC) IM Committee will draft criteria Establish minimum IM personnel resources to accomplish tasks at the sites (IMC) Educate and enhance capability of site IM personnel (IMC) Develop mentoring web page for new IM’s Conduct annual IM meetings Conduct additional meetings when necessary in conjunction with CI developers Develop a technical outreach position to facilitate sharing of information among sites and LNO (IMEXEC/LNO) Develop best-practices documents (LNO) Web site development and EML implementation (IMC/LNO will draft) Use LNO resources to provide leadership

Enhance discovery of information across sites Establish network-wide data catalog (LNO, IMC) Harvest site metadata with the metadata harvester into the LNO Metacat Populate network-wide data catalog with discovery-level EML from all sites (IMC, LNO) Increase site capacity to create appropriate discovery-level metadata documentation and make available for harvest. Populate metadata for data, models, protocols, etc. (EML best practices working group) Establish a web interface for querying this catalog as a single portal (IMC, LNO) Develop specification for query interface (IMC) Implement prototype and seek feedback (LNO)

Enhance access to information across sites Encourage and support sites to make data sets publicly available online in the spirit of the LTER data access policy (NISAC, CC) Increase incentives to sharing information Define rules, use licensing of information, Memorandums of Understanding (MOU)’s, open source software licensing such as General Public License (GPL), etc. Ensure that resources at sites for sharing information are adequate (CC, NISAC) Assess hardware at sites Host hardware and software Connectivity Populate network-wide data catalog with entity/attribute and access-level EML from all sites (IMC, LNO) Allow retrieval of data sets through links from the network-wide data catalog (IMC) Develop or adopt a common protocol for data access and query (IM, EcoGrid, GEON) Conduct research to define advanced, distributed query processors to handle a uniform query request syntax Ensure that all-site query system can integrate with current site storage solutions

Enhance synthesis and integration of information across sites (NISAC) Provide scalable query and access solutions to integrate distributed archives Document the processing history of integration and synthesis Tools for mediation or harmonization of heterogeneous information formats, collection methods, and processing protocols Develop (or adopt) open standards for information formats, metadata, software interfaces and communication protocols to achieve integration Populate network-wide data catalog with complete, validated EML from all sites (IMC, LNO) Determine a process to prioritize synthetic product development (new NIS modules) Evaluate performance towards NIS goals NISAC determines a progress metric as a target for improvement of all sites (e.g., 90% of sites - 22 of 24 - improve position on trajectory within 2 years) Devote LNO resources to a lead scientist for NIS

Leverage partnerships with other organizations to develop critical tools Work in partnership with supercomputer centers and other organizations (NISAC) Participate in multi-institutional and multi-disciplinary partnerships for the development of solutions that address specific challenges in eco-informatics Work with partners to develop tools to bridge immediate problems (dispel notion of LTER sites as just a testbed) Identify critical tools – prioritize and request funding (IM to prioritize, experts develop design specifications) EML editors Query tools Data mining tools Management of data streams from sensor networks Tools for self-documenting data from sensors, models and analysis workflows Tools for management of real-time telemetry data Quality Assurance tools Visualization tools (e.g., real-time graphics) Analysis tools for spatial/temporal patterns Integration of spatial and temporal data (e.g., semantic mediation) Direct LNO to identify resources to develop and/or maintain critical tools (LNO)

Promote interaction among CI developers, scientists, and information managers (NISAC) Form advisory committee with representation from LNO, IM, and science (Apr 2003) Propose a definition of roles and responsibilities of site, LNO, IM committee, scientists Conduct user requirement workshops including CI developers, scientists, and information managers Use techniques of scenarios, mock-ups, prototypes to demonstrate ideas Recommend a NISAC-sponsored user requirement workshop for NIS development Determine long-term responsibility for community-developed (e.g., PBI, ecoinformatics.org) tools such as EML and the unit dictionary? Implement communication technologies that reduce cost and enhance efficiency of collaboration Keep in congruence with broader cyberinfrastructure community to take advantage of advances that support the NIS mission

Educate full LTER community on NIS goals and technologies (LNO, NISAC, IM) Show relevance of NIS to science through demonstrations and distributed materials Provide demonstrations, prototypes, e.g., structured metadata, ClimDB Package materials for distribution (video, etc.) Educate scientists about opportunities and advantages of sharing data / participating in the NIS (i.e., creating “Open research” spirit) Design NIS to include paybacks to sites for time investment Demonstrate efficiencies, benefits to site Facilitate site workshops for researchers on NIS technologies and goals Develop partnership between IT and science communities to define cyberinfrastructure needs

Promote increases and strategic allocation of resources for NIS development (NISAC) Promote increasing IM resources to sites Supplemental grants directed toward EML development Provide IM/NIS resources through planning grant activities Assure resources are budgeted for data synthesis and analysis Integrate NIS activities within identified major network science thrusts Develop new proposals (sites as individuals or groups of sites, possibly in conjunction with LNO, e.g., NSF-BDI, USFS, etc.) Assure funding for implementation, technology transfer, and maintenance Include money for implementation in CI development proposals Use new LNO resources to support implementation of new informatics tools within the network Use LNO resources to assume responsibility for maintenance and support of intersite databases