Solta 2011 Pre-Meeting Agenda

< Back to | Workshops | Air Quality Data Network

Dear Colleagues,

Thank you again for expressing your interest in the Air Quality Community of Practice meeting in Solta, Croatia (23-25 August 2011). The motto of the workshop is Connecting air quality data: from virtual to real

, and by this we imply that there shall be enough room for discussions so that actual obstacles can be identified and both a vision and a workplan can be designed how to move this forward. In order to make efficient use of our time in Croatia, we ask you all to prepare for the workshop in the following ways (aside from arranging your travel etc.):

1. Self-Introduction, 3-4 slides, 5-6 min/participant, 2hrs total

Slides 1-2: Name, Institution, Relevant research, development or organizational work on AQ data system interoperability and networking Slide(s) 3-(4): Involvement and participation in projects, programs, i.e. list of Integrating Initiatives.

2. Description of AQ data systems

• Standards-based data servers
• Other data portals, file servers
• Standards and conventions (netCDF, CF, OGC W*S, ISO)

3. Common issues with current systems

In order to help structuring this information, the categories below are suggested, subject to modifications. Note that explicit discussion of metadata is left for future sessions. Guiding ..What few things must be the same, so that everything else can be different?

• standard definitions (clarity, ambiguity, completeness, ...)
• standard development and documentation
• open-source server software development
• platform issues, portability
• coding language(s), code interchangeability
• coding style and software development approaches
• Data Content
• organisation of data
• data formats, standard compliance
• data access
• performance
• flexibility
• user friendliness
• meeting user demands (fitness for purpose)
• governance, responsibilities, etc.

Discussion of Issues

• how to structure issues
• how to improve the situation
• identification of manageable work packages where possible
• clear statements about obstacles..no organizational structure, no funding or no clear idea yet how to do it.

Future: Short-term, Longer-term

• Target User communities
• Use cases for different applications... from scientists to managers, media people and the general public)?
• How can users find out about (each) system?

• What shall be common and where can they differ?
• Big future issues: data quality, traceability, metadata..

Tangible WS Outputs (Outcomes?)

Near term AQ network work plan

Data Discovery

• AQ Discovery Metadata Convention (for use in ISO, Data Catalogs...)
• Extend CF Naming conventions for Point Data
• Devise human-readable CF naming equivalents?

Data Quality

• Criteria for single (trusted ?) 'primary' data source
• Designations for secondary, derived, augmented data sources

???

in light of the results obtained from the longer-term future discussions. This work plan shall be a tangible result from the workshop and we hope that it can then also be used to attract further funding to continue and expand on the ongoing activities.

Web form For these discussions we will approach a few of you individually and ask you to prepare short "seed presentations" to give your view on some of these points.