Abstract

Currently, we are witnessing the emergence and abundance of many different data repositories and archival systems for scientific data discovery, use, and analysis. With the burgeoning of available data-sharing platforms, this study addresses how scientists working in the fields of natural resources and environmental sciences navigate these diverse data sources, what their concerns and value propositions are toward multiple data discovery channels, and most importantly, how they perceive the characteristics and compare the functionalities of different types of data repository systems. Through a user community research of domain scientists on their data use dynamics and insights, this research provides strategies and discusses ideas on how to leverage these different platforms. Furthermore, it proposes a top–down, novel approach to the processes of searching, browsing, and visualizing for the dynamic exploration of environmental data.

Keywords:data repository systems;data discovery;data sharing;natural resources data;environmental scientists

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1515/dim-2017-0009

received August 09, 2017; accepted November 19, 2017.