Possible Questions & Ideas for Specific Tools Assessment Subgroup: Lei, Mike, Bob S. Funding Opportunities to NSF, COTS Vendors to make Tools available to DataONE and community. Could help with sustainability and/or additional resources to development. Target Group: DataONE Current & Potential Member Nodes Process: Send to MN, DataONE PI's, DUG Members Process: Ask Receipants to send to "5-10" people in their organization who are practicing scientists. Sampling: request a mailing list from each MN of data depositors (and including data users / data downloaders, if possible). Survey administration: Survey is potentially long and repetitive; consider variants that focus in on a portion of the stages of the lifecycle instead of all. Send Survey of 1st 4 phases of the data Life Cycle to x number of respondents and then send last 3 phases of the data life cycle to y number of respondents. Use USGS, LTER, Dryad for 1st 4 Phases. Get DUG Members to send and sponsors Use EVA, DAAC Users for the last 3 Phases of survey CUAHSI (ask Jeff if they're more front-side or back-side users; more integration?) Merritt (preservation step; get information about librarian - curator toolsets) NBII (focus on first 4 phases and data providers; perhaps also ask about last 3 phases) TeraGrid (how can we target domain scientists using TeraGrid services? John Cobb help?) South African National Parks SAEON USGS Science Base USGS Publications Warehouse Potentially: Please check any tools you currently use to support your data management activities. Acquire Assure Describe ... . .. .. . . Tool 1 Tool 2 1 5 (Satisfaction) _____(Tool name) _____(Tool name) Note: Include definitions of Data Life Cycle as a reference... For instance, we consider the following to be included within the "Acquire" phase - ..... Collect: What primary tool do you currently use to "Collect or Acquire" data in your performing your research, please provide the following: Tool name:__________ Type of Tool: (In-house developed, Open Source, COTS, Other) How frequently do you use it - Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Yearly Why do you use this particular tool - Provided to me for free, Easy, Technical Support available, Other What issues exist with the tool - GENERAL Comments box How would you like to see it improved - GENERAL Comments box What kind of data format or standards are supported by the tool - List of all standards (FGDC, EML,....) Where do you store output from this tool - local computer, network drive, USB/Portable drive, National Network Assure: What primary tool do you use to "assure data quality" in your performing your research, please provide the following: Tool name:__________ Type of Tool: (In-house developed, Open Source, COTS, Other) How frequently do you use it - Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Yearly Why do you use this particular tool - Provided to me for free, Easy, Technical Support available, Other What issues exist with the tool - GENERAL Comments box How would you like to see it improved - GENERAL Comments box What kind of data format or standards are supported by the tool - List of all standards (FGDC, EML,....) Where do you store output from this tool - local computer, network drive, USB/Portable drive, National Network Describe: What primary tool do you use to "describe or document" data in your performing your research, please provide the following: Tool name:__________ Type of Tool: (In-house developed, Open Source, COTS, Other) How frequently do you use it - Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Yearly Why do you use this particular tool - Provided to me for free, Easy, Technical Support available, Other What issues exist with the tool - GENERAL Comments box How would you like to see it improved - GENERAL Comments box What kind of data format or standards are supported by the tool - List of all standards (FGDC, EML,....) Where do you store output from this tool - local computer, network drive, USB/Portable drive, National Network Deposit: What primary tool do you use to "deposit or submit" data to your repository. Please provide the following: Tool name:__________ Type of Tool: (In-house developed, Open Source, COTS, Other) How frequently do you use it - Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Yearly Why do you use this particular tool - Provided to me for free, Easy, Technical Support available, Other What issues exist with the tool - GENERAL Comments box How would you like to see it improved - GENERAL Comments box What kind of data format or standards are supported by the tool - List of all standards (FGDC, EML,....) Where do you store output from this tool - local computer, network drive, USB/Portable drive, National Network, Campus Network When you deposit data into your repository, how long do you anticipate the data to be available? How Confident are you in depositing your data to your repository. Preserve: What primary tool do you use to "preserve" data from your research activities. Please provide the following: Tool name:__________ Type of Tool: (In-house developed, Open Source, COTS, Other) How frequently do you use it - Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Yearly Why do you use this particular tool - Provided to me for free, Easy, Technical Support available, Other What issues exist with the tool - GENERAL Comments box How would you like to see it improved - GENERAL Comments box What kind of data format or standards are supported by the tool - List of all standards (FGDC, EML,....) Where do you store output from this tool - local computer, network drive, USB/Portable drive, National Network, Campus Network How confident are you that your data will be preserved for the next 10 to 50 years? Discover: What primary tool do you use to "Discover" data from your research activities. Please provide the following: Tool name:__________ Type of Tool: (In-house developed, Open Source, COTS, Other) How frequently do you use it - Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Yearly Why do you use this particular tool - Provided to me for free, Easy, Technical Support available, Other What issues exist with the tool - GENERAL Comments box How would you like to see it improved - GENERAL Comments box Integrate: What primary tool do you use to "Integrate" data from your research activities. Please provide the following: Tool name:__________ Type of Tool: (In-house developed, Open Source, COTS, Other) How frequently do you use it - Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Yearly Why do you use this particular tool - Provided to me for free, Easy, Technical Support available, Other What issues exist with the tool - GENERAL Comments box How would you like to see it improved - GENERAL Comments box Analyze: What primary tool do you use to "Analyze" data from your research activities. Please provide the following: Tool name:__________ Type of Tool: (In-house developed, Open Source, COTS, Other) How frequently do you use it - Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Yearly Why do you use this particular tool - Provided to me for free, Easy, Technical Support available, Other What issues exist with the tool - GENERAL Comments box How would you like to see it improved - GENERAL Comments box Summary Section: Please provide any general feedback or comments you feel are relevant to data management activities within your organization. (LONG TEXT BOX) Tools Assessment questions: Design questions according to data life cycle stages? Tools use: what, when, where, how, and why Question technique: critical incident? Or from general to specific? Potential questions: 1. use of familiar tools vs. use of unfamiliar tools (adopting new tools) 2. any established culture of tool use in specific discipline 3. satisfaction with current tool use 4. interest in providing tools information for the depositing of tools/methods