Background Data created and held outside of formal academic - PDF document

2/26/2014 Towards curating data for sharing, access and preservation with environmental voluntary groups Mary Anne Kennan, Charles Sturt University (CSU) Kirsty Williamson, CSU & Monash University Graeme Johanson, Monash University Faculty of Education, School of Information Studies Background •Data created and held outside of formal ‘academic’ science, often not generated by professional work, e.g., by environmental voluntary groups (EVGs) environmental voluntary groups (EVGs) •Data largely inaccessible outside those often-small EVGs •Potential value of this “wild” data for: • science, research and participative decision-making (Callon, Lascoumes & Barthe 2009) • academic and other professional researchers p •Management of data by EVGs may be: • poor or non-existent • haphazard and spasmodic regarding quality control Faculty of Education, School of Information Studies 1

2/26/2014 Volunteers, amateurs, professionals & citizen scientists • “Volunteer” freely does something useful • “Amateur” common usage problematic • “Citizen science” • Our project – harnessing the data of “amateur the data of amateur experts” – Volunteers • (Bell et al 2008; Grove- White et al 2007; Kennan Photo: Ken Walker, Museum Victoria/Bowerbird et all 2011) Faculty of Education, School of Information Studies Harnessing data outside formal CS programs ? Focussing on biodiversity data biodiversity data • Observations and collections e.g. Species, location, date, time etc. For use in: • Tracking location and status of endangered or status of endangered or invasive species • Development of policy; informing decisions • Combining with other (e.g. Photo: Russel Best, APSV/NatureShare weather & climate) data Nodding Greenhood Orchid Faculty of Education, School of Information Studies 2

2/26/2014 Why share? Data sharing • Data are expensive to collect • Integral to data intensive • May be unique, snap shot science, collaboration • Component of current • Can be reused e.g. scientific method • Reproduce or validate • Advance original research • Requires: • Open new line of enquiry • Description, accessibility, find- • Contribute to inter-disciplinary ability • Preservation, persistence, problem solving and answering sustainability large scale questions • Maintenance of quality Maintenance of quality • Reasons not to share? • Social • Technical (Borgman, 2006; Cragin et al, 2010; Henty et al, 2008; Kowalczyk & Shankar, 2011; Markauskaite et al, 2012; Tenopir et al, 2011; Witt, 2009) Faculty of Education, School of Information Studies Information sharing Information systems & KM HIB • Emphasis on how systems • Some research on Some research on can be designed & information sharing but still implemented to enhance emerging (Fisher & Julien collaborative information 2009; Pilerot 2012; Wilson sharing (c.f. Widen-Wulff & 2010) Ginman 2004; Lave & Wenger • A form of collaborative 1991) information behaviour (Talja Sharing data and information & Hansen 2006) ) through formal systems • Multifaceted: trust, risk, requires understanding of user reward, benefit, reciprocity (Savolainen 2007; Wilson communities and practices 2010) (Talja 2002) Faculty of Education, School of Information Studies 3

2/26/2014 Research problem and questions 1. What are the present data storage and management practices of APSV members? p 2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of these practices for the sharing of research data? 3. What are APSV members’ Photo: Ken Walker, Museum Victoria/Bowerbird To understand how data management and present attitudes to sharing approaches to data sharing could be research data? improved to enhance EVG member improved to enhance EVG member 4. What can be done to contributions to formal science while also encourage APSV members to continuing to meet individual and group share their data and to needs empower them with skills and technology to contribute to major data repositories? Faculty of Education, School of Information Studies Background of site •APS Branches in every state •1,700 Victorian members •APSV begun in Melbourne in 1957 •Name change in the late 1990s: • from ‘Society for Growing Australian Plants’ (SGAP) • to ‘Australian Plants Society’ – reflecting broader approach to include, e.g., researching, observing, and conserving •Emphasis of members varies, e.g., Emphasis of members varies e g • Cultivation of Australian plants (priority of gardens) • Broader ‘field naturalist’ approaches • Strong scientific interest • Social engagement with like-minded people Faculty of Education, School of Information Studies 4

2/26/2014 Summary of method • Interpretivist/constructivist research philosophy h hil h • Ethnographic method and interview technique • Purposive sample to reflect membership of APSV • 15 interviews of 1-2 hours, semi-structured, audio-taped & transcribed • Analysis through identification of categories and themes Image: APSV Project, Bowerbird Faculty of Education, School of Information Studies Participant Analysis Gender Age Length APSV Membership Membership 7 male 40-49 1 1-5 years 1 8 female 50-59 4 6-10 years 3 60-69 5 11-15 years 3 70-79 3 21-25 years 3 80-89 2 30+ years 5 Sample ages closely reflect age profile of ASPV: 88% of membership was aged over 50 in 2007 ( Phil Hempel, 2007 survey of APSV members) Faculty of Education, School of Information Studies 5

2/26/2014 Motivations to join EVG • Love of Australian plants, nature and p , conservation • Work and socialize with like-minded people • Increase own knowledge & understanding understanding • Make a contribution Photo: Ken Walker, Museum Victoria/Bowerbird Faculty of Education, School of Information Studies Current position Observations Current modes of • In field sharing/dissemination • historical • Meetings • Meetings Surveys of habitats • Newsletters and Data types magazines • Photographs • Guided walks • Specimens • Group collecting trips • Notes e.g. • Individual and group • Location g p • Time/Date/Season websites • Flowering • Habitat • Pollinators • Growth patterns Faculty of Education, School of Information Studies 6

2/26/2014 Current practices • Handwritten notes • Personal computers (PC) (PC) • Personal websites & DBs • Group websites & DBs • CDs e.g. Photo galleries • Writing up notes – transferring to articles and books • Emerging shared Image: APSV Website repositories/databases Faculty of Education, School of Information Studies Current practices Advantages Disadvantages • Computers great • Small distributed collections • Data loss – backups, multi advantage over handwritten and print systems, death • Shared websites great • Technical obsolescence advantage over personal • Long term preservation computers • Dated print materials • Managed repositories? g p • Low IT skills base • L IT kill b Only one using Faculty of Education, School of Information Studies 7

2/26/2014 Attitudes to data sharing Most “willing to share in a useful way, but can’t” • Trust – e.g. Sensitive data - conserving rare species • Loss of control (e.g. FIS) • Need for acknowledgement, attribution, community • Lack of reciprocity – datum or small collections into larger ones • Disinterest/lack of ability in technology • Di i t t/l k f bilit i t h l • Time and knowledge requirements • Data quality control Faculty of Education, School of Information Studies Repositories for sharing Current examples: • Atlas of Living Australia http://www.ala.org.au/ national – not geared to individuals/volunteers • NatureShare http://natureshare org au/ Developed by APSV NatureShare http://natureshare.org.au/ Developed by APSV Research officer, just completed at project end • Bowerbird http://bowerbird.org.au completed after project end Advantages • Automatically updating and referencing taxonomic changes • Manage data and metadata quality • Offer curation and preservation - sustainability Offer curation and preservation - sustainability • Different purposes – into one central “mother” repository •Disadvantages • New, hard, unfamiliar • Not always developed with volunteers practices and needs in mind Faculty of Education, School of Information Studies 8