NEON Data Services Working Group (DSWG) Meeting 4

Participants
Matt Jones, Peter Griffith, Viv Hutchison, Steve Berukoff, Bob Peet, Giri Palanisamy, Ben Domenico, Dave Vieglais, Michael Burek, Tyler Erickson, Ted Habermann

Unable to attend: David Greenlee, Robert Guralnick, Mark Parsons, Peter Ruhl, Inigo San Gil, Emery Boose, Carl Lagoze

Documents
1. NEON Data Products Catalog: http://wiki.neoninc.org:8080/download/attachments/3932183/neon_level_1_to_3_dswg.xlsx
2. Recommendations Document Draft
http://wiki.neoninc.org:8080/download/attachments/3932183/recommendations-report-v01.docx

Agenda
1) Introduction of Steve Berukoff
2) Review of charge and current status
3) Overview of data products, and open discussion on metadata, data format recommendations
4) Schedule for completing recommendations and report
5) Discussion of need for face-to-face meeting to complete activities

Discussion Notes
1) Introduction of Steve Berukoff
    -- Manages Data Products Group at NEON
    -- managing data is difficult, standards necessary for interoperability
    -- always available for questions

2) Review of charge and current status
    -- see wiki for past meetings
    
3) Overview of data products, and open discussion on metadata, data format recommendations
    -- matt gives overview of data catalog spreadsheet and issues
    -- peet -- requests that the mroe detailed data models be made available for verification/review
    -- peet -- requests document reviewing the rationale for variables chosen
    -- also need metadata defining each of the measurements, instruments, etc.
    -- Giri: It will be helpful if the measurements are named using some standards. For example, the climate related measurements can use CF convention and also confirms to the units that CF recommends
    -- berukoff -- calibration information also stored in NEON dbs, can provide that information
    -- LUAP -- these largely come from other providers, NEON will provide products for the NEON sites at a common grid resolution, etc.
    -- add section on vocabularies and semantics/ontology
    -- palanisamy: expand distribution
    -- peet: add discovery services
    -- domenico: data discovery scattered throughout sections; consolidate
        -- also shoud addres sboth human & machie readable discovery services
    -- Haberman: Address Conformance and validation testing of both data and metadata in the recs
    -- are data embargoes/access control an issue beyond sample processing time? None beyond processing/QA
    -- is there PI data from PIs wokring at NEON sites?  And what is the policy for those data releases?  is NEON to be serving data from PI-proposed data?
        -- unofficially, in future there will be process for PIs to propose additional projects, still be determined how much they are tied into the NEON DM process
        -- should be a section discussing treatment & distribution of PI-driven data collection
    -- Steve -- provide thorough rationale

4) Schedule for completing recommendations and report
    -- first draft of sections in a month
    -- time series data, first sites online middle 2012, data out the door late 2012
    -- Aim for recommendations in mid May
    
5) Discussion of need for face-to-face meeting to complete activities
    -- not anxious for other meetings, useful if it corresponds to existing travel
    -- scheduling is difficult
    -- 5 people on the phone are already in Denver area
    -- probably postpone, assess again if we're not making progress
    -- Steve -- can work on funding if that is limiting
    
6) Matt: schedule Doodle for 5 weeks