Nicole Kaplan (SGS) and Karen Baker (PAL/CCE)
At our Information Management annual meetings we traditionally schedule time to speak with other information managers about issues, challenges, and practices. We find time to discuss troubles, workarounds, and change, but the time available for informal communication is never enough. A recent cross-site exchange between SGS and CCE/PAL provided an additional window of time that allowed each of us to examine more closely how information management is performed at another site. Benefits of such a visit include an opportunity to hear about design and implementation details from another LTER site, to gain insight from comparative study of site differences and similarities, and to explore unexpected topics of joint interest.
Initially, the CCE/PAL Ocean Informatics group was able to suggest the visit because funds for a cross-site exchange were included in a supplement request. SGS, however, offered to support a large part of the visit from site funds. Ocean Informatics (OI) is a conceptual umbrella for the work of two LTER sites, PAL and CCE. The OI team’s focus on ‘Continuing Learning’ was evident as one member shared her plan for telecommuting in order to complete a Masters Degree (see article by LYarmey). The whole group gathered for a weekly discussion group with attendees including developers, technicians, analysts and a science studies researcher. In addition, several times, as subsets of the team, we gathered at the Ocean Informatics design table. A morning spent demoing our respective web sites and information systems prompted a number of discussions. This served as valuable peer-review process as functions and designs have been implemented within all our systems to discover data and information that incorporate similar aspects of community supported standards, such as EML and LTER controlled vocabularies, but were built on very different information architectures.
For the site-to-site exchange, we initially took time to review how data are collected, structured, stored, managed, and delivered from differing physical ecosystem and are handled within differing local-level information ecosystems. This was a very worthwhile experience as strategies for managing different data types using various data models emerged as we shared approaches and tools used at each site. We shared a wide-ranging set of specific elements relating to site information management by:
- Reviewing IM sections of proposals for SGS, PAL and CCE
- Sharing metaphors and analogies of how we work in our teams and within the network
- Discussing future plans for managing new data types and increased data flows
With two sites with distinct development trajectories, each could use input from the other to prompt definition and articulation of our own particular set of site information management arrangements. In addition, these discussions assisting in planning future goals for site information management systems and expertise to support proposed science within the upcoming LTER renewal proposal submissions. Finally, a site’s support of a cross-site collaboration with colleagues is viewed by the local PIs as an investment in professional development, an opportunity for information and technology transfer, and participation at the network level. We have begun to consider a variety of formulations that might replicate the beneficial aspects of a site-to-site exchange. One possibility, would be to create a one-time Peer Review Panel. Such a panel would be an opportunity to gather together several professionals to strategically explore and critically assess IM.
We found time to discuss network-level activities including the challenge of integrating diverse data that is not interoperable despite falling into the same category or theme such as net primary productivity. At a network level, we shared topics by:
- Articulating the changing requirements associated with information management
- Considering professional meetings for information managers
- Exchanging experiences in submitting data to Ecotrends
- Discussing plans for enacting the unit registry at local and network level
In our case, there was an added benefit in that the visit was planned to precede the All Scientist Meeting so that, as co-members of the Governance Working Group, we were able to develop materials, discuss best practices, and plan agenda items during the exchange. We conferred on a figure central to discussion of site-network governance at this year’s IMC. Time was also spent on design of an LTER Information Management History database (HistoryDB) and creation of a poster on the same topic for the ASM.
Working at geographically distant and organizationally distinct sites meant it was no surprise to find that we approached problems using different expertise and had tasks arranged with different divisions of labor. A site exchange facilitates learning and professional growth, mentoring between seasoned and newer team members or students, and dialogue on approaches to project management that ensure efficient and effective data practices. Our particular work plan included tasks relating to local site arrangements, Information Management Committee activities, and network level issues. The visit was rounded out by visiting the Ocean Informatics Computational Infrastructure facility with its servers and surfboards, visiting the Birch Aquarium with its fish tanks and education exhibits, and participating in the #1 UC Yoga Club.
After working on information management for an LTER for more than 7 years (Nicole Kaplan) and more than 18 years (Karen Baker), the visit had the feel of what we called a ‘mini-sabbatical’. It proved both a productive and a fun way to learn, assess, design and plan collaboratively. Two noticeable aspects of the cross-site exchange were the ability to step back to consider local work within a broader context and to become re-energized by new ideas and by re-imagining the role of information management. We would urge other information managers to consider planning and requesting support from your site(s) for a cross-site visit as an opportunity to share expertise and perspectives, discuss similar challenges and develop potential solutions, address how network level efforts or concerns affect different sites, and build partnerships with like-minded professionals. If you are considering requesting support for a cross-site visit or incorporating one into a supplemental proposal, be sure to state your goals and intentions clearly and share your accomplishments with your site, as well as the information management community. Our sites and our network can benefit from these experiences.