Authors:Jake R. Carlson et al. Abstract: The researcher is conducting research on the brain cells of drosophila larvae. Specifically, the goal is to sort nuclei from glial and neuronal cells from the brains of mutant and wild type drosophila larvae. She will do transcriptome and high throughput ChIP-seq analysis on the cell nuclei to examine the distribution of complexes that modify histones and how loss of those complexes affects transcription. The stages of her research involve a long period of methodology development, a shorter data collection period, and then data analysis. The lab notebook contains written documentation of all experiments and trials and links to data, versions of analysis and images, databases, and versions of the developing journal article. Therefore, keeping an organized electronic lab notebook is of high importance for the researcher. It is also very important for her students to be trained to properly document their experiments using her lab notebook structures and protocols. The researcher submits some of her data to a database or repository as a part of the publication process. This data is publicly available once the article is published. The researcher has no limitations on access to the data, except that she requires that those using or referencing her data cite the paper from which it came rather than the data itself. PubDate: Thu, 22 Aug 2013 12:36:11 PDT
Authors:Kathryn M. Dunn Abstract: The researcher participates in large-scale astronomical survey projects, which are collaborative efforts of many institutions and individuals. Management of the raw and processed/calibrated data is handled by those projects, but data for specific research questions is handled by the researcher. The researcher would like to have a better way to share the data behind the figures in their published papers with other researchers. The effort involved in retrieving and documenting the data so it’s usable by others is a barrier to sharing the data. It would be easier to share data from publications if it could be deposited to a centralized repository (institutional or elsewhere), where it could be maintained past the length of a grant-funded project.The specific research project detailed in this data curation profile was completed in 2002, but the researcher said that it is still representative of how they conduct research and work with data today. This is one of the first projects that was done with the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) data. A subset of SDSS data was used to identify overdensities of stars that could not be accounted for using a smooth density model of the Milky Way. The research resulted in the discovery that the spheroid of the Milky Way was significantly lumpy in density. PubDate: Fri, 19 Apr 2013 16:30:15 PDT
Authors:Megan Sapp Nelson et al. Abstract: The researcher is working on a project to establish a longitudinal data set that will look at the long term impact of sustainable development in the Nnindye community located in the Mpigi District in Uganda. She will conduct oral history interviews with community members and gather data on cultural, medical, medicinal, and agricultural practices. She plans to use the data to gauge the success of development projects and to gain a better understanding of cultural change as it occurs. The researcher believes that these interviews will be of interest to other researchers, practitioners, and the general public. However, the researcher does yet know what the best means are for making the data accessible. Because of the historical component of her research, she needs her data to be preserved indefinitely. Given that electricity and internet are not always readily available, the researcher needs to have a backup method that is reliable and allows her co-collaborators in the United States to access the data. The researcher is unaware of existing metadata standards for oral history and is unfamiliar with how to associate the coding with her data. PubDate: Tue, 19 Feb 2013 11:30:48 PST
Authors:Lisa Zilinski et al. Abstract: The research project is centered on determining the evolving meaning of the term “polytechnic”. As a standard class assignment, freshman students will be required to execute video interviews of upper classmen to find out what they think “polytechnic” means. This assignment will be repeated with each group of incoming freshmen so that all students will have the opportunity to interview and be interviewed. By interviewing the students each year, the researchers will be able to understand the changing definition of the term “polytechnic” as the students progress through school. By comparing responses from differing freshmen classes, the researchers will be able to understand the changing definition of the term “polytechnic” as it is understood by the general public. As the videos are entered into the repository, metadata will be entered to aid in determining common themes. Common themes will be extracted and logged into Excel spreadsheets. The results logged in the spreadsheets will be interpreted and reported in formal reports at the preset review times. The data stored in the spreadsheets will be reviewed and compared in the formal report after one year, five years and ten years. PubDate: Fri, 25 Jan 2013 14:45:40 PST
Authors:Jake R. Carlson et al. Abstract: The researcher interviewed for this data curation profile is working to generate criteria needed to do experiments in human genomic research. Specifically, she focuses on the discovery of codes that regulate the expression of human genes. Her data management needs center on the maintenance of her data and the use of genomic data repositories. She shared that although she currently posts her data and scripts on her personal website, she does not have the resources or expertise to adequately maintain her data. She is interested in depositing her data into a repository once she is confident in the soundness of her research results. Additionally, the researcher stated that there is a need for resources for data archiving at her institution. PubDate: Wed, 31 Oct 2012 12:50:14 PDT
Authors:Jake R. Carlson Abstract: The topic of research for this data curation profile is plant genomes. Specifically, studies how a plant regulates and controls metallic and other inorganic elements. The data is gathered from several species of plants that are grown in the researcher’s lab. The data management needs relate to maintaining the lab’s information management system for organizing, describing, and sharing the data, linking the data to publications, and using a standardized means for others to acknowledge the source of the data. The researcher also has an interest in incorporating services that support collaboration and community development in the data and results. PubDate: Wed, 31 Oct 2012 12:45:15 PDT
Authors:Jake R. Carlson et al. Abstract: The data set described in this data curation profile is derived from two studies. The initial study investigated the effects of phosphorus and potassium nutrients on the ability of alfalfa to recover from stress brought on by the winter season or the close cutting done in harvesting. The second study was a response to the first and sought to examine changes in taproot, physiology, biochemistry, and gene expression during the summer to further understand alfalfa persistence through the winter. The data management needs include further development of the data description for it to be shared with and understood by multiple audiences. There is also a need for linkages between the spreadsheets and the gels and blots. PubDate: Wed, 31 Oct 2012 11:25:17 PDT
Authors:Jake R. Carlson Abstract: The research of focus for this data curation profile involves the study of real-time traffic signal performance measures. The researcher creates profiles of traffic movement for specific intersections by measuring the number of vehicles passing through an intersection and the amount of time spent at an intersection on a movement-by-movement basis over a 24 hour period. The overall goal of the research is to enable the state department of transportation to prioritize which traffic signals need improvement. The data management needs include database management services, assistance in developing sound data management and documentation practices, a standardized workflow that would allow the data to be easily discovered and accessed, as well as ingested and archived. Additionally, the researcher needs to be able to correlate the different kinds of data (e.g., sensor data, images) together. Lastly, the researcher would like to have visualization tools to enhance the data’s use. PubDate: Wed, 31 Oct 2012 11:25:15 PDT
Authors:Jake R. Carlson Abstract: This data curation profile focuses on a researcher’s study of the positions and movement of protein molecules within a cell. The protein molecules are derived from jellyfish and inserted into E. coli cells to identify the pathways taken by the protein and cell mechanics. The researcher also examines how genetic modifications and mutations affect the movement of the protein. The data management needs relate to how the researcher can effectively manage, curate, and share his data given the large size of his data. The researcher also shared a need for better methods of backing up his data and for an organizational system to help make his data sharable. He also has an interest in making the data interoperable, but the lack of community standards for ontologies and metadata schemes limits interoperability. PubDate: Wed, 31 Oct 2012 11:20:25 PDT
Authors:Jake R. Carlson et al. Abstract: This data curation profile focuses on a data set based on the examination of water flow and water quality using a tile drainage system. The researcher uses the data to research the impact of drain spacing, of soil management practices on nitrate leeching, and also the impacts of drainage on crop growth and yield. The data curation needs relate to the process of preparing the data for sharing and use by others. Currently, the data, which spans a 25 year period, is not well documented and would require considerable investment for it to be ready for use by others. PubDate: Wed, 31 Oct 2012 11:20:15 PDT
Authors:Jake R. Carlson Abstract: The researcher interviewed for this data curation profile is an earthquake engineer who is studying devices that can reduce the response of buildings during earthquakes. Specifically, the objective of this project is to develop design methodologies that are suitable for structures that have control devices in them. She uses a method called “real-time hybrid testing” to validate the performance of the design methodologies and their dampers. The overall goal is to create a mathematical model for the magnetorheological damper whose results can be compared with results from physical tests. The data management needs concern refitting the data into the NEES data model and conforming to the NEES hub policies and standards. Refitting the data may involve reformatting the data, providing additional metadata, and making the data compatible with the tools offered by NEES hub. PubDate: Wed, 31 Oct 2012 11:10:21 PDT
Authors:Jake R. Carlson Abstract: This data curation profile covers a data set generated by a graduate student studying the growth of switch grass on different types of land and evaluating the performance of the switch grass in thermo-chemical conversion for bio energy. He is particularly interested in how the switch grass planted on land suited for annual crop growth interacts with these annual crops. The data management issues include the separation of his data in Excel files from his physical lab notebook. He has shared his data previously with another graduate student from a different discipline. However, because they came from different disciplinary backgrounds, their interpretations of the data and its meaning made sharing the data a challenging endeavor. PubDate: Wed, 31 Oct 2012 10:55:39 PDT
Authors:Melissa Cragin et al. Abstract: The data set presented in this data curation profile comes from the field of soil science. The researcher studies soil ecology and organic matter, more specifically, sustainable agriculture and understanding the impact of various treatments on soil fertility. The data management needs involve making the data available in multiple formats, preserving the data indefinitely, and providing access to analytical and visualization tools and web APIs. There are some privacy and confidentiality concerns regarding making the data accessible because some content (e.g., geographic information system data) could potentially identify land owners or other individuals who are responsible for the soil. Additionally, the researcher shared that in her field it is unclear which data should be kept and prepared and submitted for public access. PubDate: Wed, 31 Oct 2012 10:55:25 PDT
Authors:Katherine Chiang Abstract: The project associated with this data curation profile focuses on the evaluation of corn hybrids for grain yield performance as a service for the growers. The hybrids are planted in multiple locations and data is gathered on their performance. The goal of the research is to produce reference data for the seed being tested. The data management needs relate to making the finalized data available in an annual publication and preserving final reports indefinitely. PubDate: Wed, 31 Oct 2012 10:50:47 PDT
Authors:Kornelia Tancheva Abstract: The goal of the research in this data curation profile is to learn about the linguistic aspects of the Cheyenne language with a focus on semantics, pragmatics, and syntactic issues. The data is gathered from recordings of short stories or examples given in response to specific questions. The data management issues center around the early stages of her data. The researcher described a need for a technician who could help segment and transcribe the audio files and a need to apply metadata using morphological gloss that would make it searchable. Additionally, the data would need to be available in a publicly accessible, searchable database that allows for the download of segments. The researcher also expressed a need for the data to be preserved indefinitely. PubDate: Wed, 31 Oct 2012 10:50:45 PDT
Authors:Keith Jenkins Abstract: The researchers interviewed for this data curation profile use data from the US Census and other federal and state government sources and process, analyze, and distribute the data on the project website in a way that makes the data more accessible and easier to use. The researchers also produce analytical reports that are also available on the website. The data management needs center around the researchers’ desire to utilize an external data repository to reduce the effort required to maintain the data on their website. The researchers would need the repository to offer similar web APIs to what they currently have in order for their website to draw data directly from the repository. PubDate: Wed, 31 Oct 2012 06:31:37 PDT
Authors:Lori Tschirhart Abstract: This data curation profile covers a data set generated from research on plate tectonics, dynamic earth processes that cause continental plate interior deformations, and plate motion distribution. The samples are collected from the Greater Caucasus Mountains. The data management needs center around data sharing, connecting the data to publications, and making the data discoverable. There are some concerns about the copyright issues regarding sharing some of the ancillary data. PubDate: Fri, 26 Oct 2012 09:46:05 PDT
Authors:Lisa Zilinski et al. Abstract: The study of food preservation in Meals Ready to Eat (MREs) that undergo extreme changes in climate is the focus in this data curation profile. Specifically, the goal is to create a tool to allow the Department of Defense to ship MREs with the expiration information included. The data management needs include the security of the data because the data cannot be publicly shared without permission. The researcher would like to be able to securely store data in a digital asset management system that could be accessed remotely as long as security and privacy could be maintained. PubDate: Fri, 26 Oct 2012 09:46:03 PDT
Authors:Sarah J. Wright Abstract: This data curation profile addresses a data set generated from the study of the mechanisms and ecological consequences of plants’ induced responses to herbivore damage. The researcher’s goal is to better understand herbivore-induced changes in volatile organic compounds emitted by plants on pollinators. The data management needs concern both the deposit of his data into a repository and the format of his data. The researcher shared that he needs to develop standard procedures for deposit. He also expressed some concern about the accessibility of his data that is in a proprietary format if the format ever became obsolete. Additionally, the researcher places importance on sharing his data for exchange of knowledge and encouraging new ideas. PubDate: Fri, 26 Oct 2012 09:46:01 PDT
Authors:Dianne Dietrich Abstract: This data curation profile focuses on a data set generated by a researcher studying the physical interactions of proteins. Specifically, he used small angle x-ray scattering in order to examine how proteins respond to a light stimulus. The data management needs involve making available and linking the refined data to publications. There are some concerns about making the raw data available due to the potential for misinterpretation and also the effort require to make it available. PubDate: Fri, 26 Oct 2012 09:45:59 PDT
Open Access journal
