Information Management Goals

This page describes current efforts and goals to provide dynamic data discovery and access to Jornada Basin LTER (JRN) GIS, data sets, and metadata stored within the Jornada Information Management System (JIMS). These goals support LTER Network efforts to implement common, structured metadata across all LTER sites.

Completed Goals

1. Climate data, plant species list, and research notification forms have been loaded into JIMS databases.
2. The LTER Network Office supported collaboration with the Central Phoenix Arizona LTER (CAP) to deploy Xanthoria to aid in us in creating EML from JIMS’ data holdings. Xanthoria is a product of CAP.
3. JIMS database schemas have been updated to support EML.
4. Administrative interfaces to JIMS have been developed to maintain JIMS.
5. ClimDB harvests have been automated and the number of stations, climate parameters, and spatial and temporal coverage for JRN climate data has been increased.
6. Completed collaboration with the San Diego Super Computer Center on exploring development of web services for distribution of and access to JRN data and associated metadata.
7. As of January 26, 2006 we have generated EML documentation for 51 of our 147 datasets that are available on our data catalog. This includes 50% of our long-term datasets.

Short-Term Goals (3 - 6 months)

1. EML Related Goals:

1. Complete population of legacy metadata into JIMS with research data sets and associated metadata (EML).
2. Complete population of the LTER Network Office (LNO) Metacat metadata repository with EML describing all JRN research datasets.
3. Populate new research datasets and associated metadata and generate EML into JIMS.
4. Refine custom XSLTs for generating EML custom units.
5. Generate level 5 EML for all JIMS research datasets.

2. Other Short-Term Goals:

1. Customize new Internet map allowing feature drawing for potential research site locations.
2. Develop data model for maintaining and serving GPS information on research site locations.
3. Produce searchable GIS data layers for all current research site locations online. Access to sensitive or restricted access GIS layers would be based on user access permissions.
4. Complete metadata for all current GIS data holdings.

Long-Term Goals

1. GIS Related Goals:

1. Jornada is developing a customized ArcIMS framework (potentially based on EML) and query application that will allow dynamic access to both ecological tabular and GIS data and metadata through dynamic maps or by database queries. Once the custom framework is implemented, it will replace the current Internet map. The geodatabase is maintained and edited such that anyone accessing the geodatabase or building maps based on the geodatabase always have the most current versions of any data layers. The geodatabase is searchable through the Jornada Map Server. Refine custom XSLTs for EML and geodatabase metadata query forms and results.
2. Integrate GIS with EML and JIMS research data tables.
3. Produce searchable GIS data layers for historic site locations online
4. Develop an online research site location database tool based on site location names and synonyms.
5. Develop application to allow additional metadata to be added to geodatabase metadata when creating EML for GIS data holdings.

2. Data Catalog Related Goals:

1. We are currently developing a data cart, catalog, and search system to facilitate user collection of multiple data files and the automated delivery and compression of data and associated metadata files to users. These pages will include frequently asked questions, a knowledgebase, help, and links to downloads other than data sets and associated metadata (that are available from the data catalog pages).
2. Develop interview page to collect intended use of data, agreement with acknowledgement policy, and contact information prior to downloading data sets.
3. Search capabilities are being developed and implemented for data, metadata, species lists, web galleries and research notification tables stored within JIMS.

3. Website Related Goals:

1. We are currently developing additional capabilities for our Education menu on the JRN and Chihuahuan Desert Nature Park (CDNP) websites. The initial capabilities include (1) a Meet the Scientist interface, (2) a glossary of terms, and (3) the ability for teachers to input and upload schoolyard data to a Jornada server. (Links to the CDNP web site are available on the JRN web site menu.)
2. It is planned to make the JRN web site dynamically generated this year. All JRN web pages would be created dynamically. This will make maintaining and enhancing the web site much easier in the future as well as rapidly recovering our website in the event of catastrophe.
3. Searchable photo and aerial photo web galleries are under development.
4. We plan to develop an information management automated notification system of key due dates. An example notification is the 2 year anniversary date for restricted datasets; the information manager and responsible investigator would be notified when a dataset should be reviewed and added to the online data catalog or reviewed by the JRN Executive Committee to determine whether continued restricted access is justified.

Other Long-Term Goals:

1. Pursue funding opportunities to add additional capabilities to JIMS. Examples of these capabilities include integrating genomic, biochemical, GIS, remote sensing, GPS, social science, and ecological data for analysis and visualization online or offline. Also included would be items from this listing of long-term information management goals that cannot be accomplished with current resources.
2. Associate JRN species lists with U.S. Department of Agriculture taxonomic database (ITIS) identification codes within JIMS. JRN species lists would be made searchable by either JRN or ITIS species codes or synonyms.
3. Develop web application incorporating verification and validation of research data sets based on EML metadata.
4. Develop web application to allow data entry directly into the databases based on EML metadata.
5. We plan to replace our current file based metadata repository with an XML databases, eXist, to allow for application and search engine development to access JIMS metadata and synchronize to the LNO Metacat node.
6. We plan on implementing a searchable metadata repository (eXist, an XML databsae) to store and access metadata documentation stored in a standard exchange format, EML. Web based applications are being developed by JRN that will provide for discovery and access to ecological tabular and GIS data and associated metadata stored in the GIS and IMS databases as well as tracking data downloads.
7. Implement Databank (Canopy Project) functionality to allow researcher to design research databases.