CODATA: Improving Data for Science and Technology

1. CODATA Committee on Data for Science and Technology of the International Council for Science http://www.codata.org Join our international mailing list at: http://www.codata.org/instr.html

2. Who are we? CODATA, the Committee on Data for Science and Technology was established in 1966 by ICSU, the International Council for Science. Working on an interdisciplinary and international basis, CODATA seeks to improve the quality, reliability, processing, management and accessibility of data of importance to science and technology.

3. What are our objectives • The improvement of the quality and accessibility of data, as well as the methods by which data are acquired, managed, analysed and evaluated, with particular emphasis on developing countries • The facilitation of international co-operation among those collecting, organising and using data • The promotion of an increased awareness in the scientific and technical community of the importance of these activities • The consideration of data access and intellectual property issues

4. How do we achieve our objectives • Task Groups • National Member Activities • International Conferences • Electronic Journal • Publications • Workshops • Studies and Reports • Co-operation and liaison with other Interest Groups

5. Data Information and Visualisation Virtual Laboratories in Earth, Physical and Environmental Sciences Data on Natural Gas Hydrates Data Sources in Asian-Oceanic Countries Fundamental Constants Global Species Data Network Biological Collection Data Access Preservation and Archiving of Scientific and Technical Data in Developing Countries Task Groups

6. Data Information and Visualisation The CODATA Task Group on Data, Information and Visualisation brings to data workers through out the world the latest data technologies through workshops and other mechanisms. As database management becomes an everyday tool in every area, these workshops introduce these technologies to diverse fields, such as those involved in computerisation of museum collections. One area of special emphasis is on data visualisation, tools that greatly expand users’ ability to browse through, analyse and exploit large-scale data collections.

7. Virtual Laboratories in Earth Physical and Environmental Sciences New measurement technologies have greatly increased the volume of global data, such as geodynamics, seismology, biology, satellite and linguistics data. This volume, as well as the interdisciplinary nature of many studies, require new data handling and knowledge extraction techniques. This Group has as its objective the development of such techniques.

8. Data on Natural Gas Hydrates It has as its objective the development of the concept of a comprehensive information system of all aspects of natural gas hydrates. It will formulate requirements on the type of data needed in the system and their quality sufficient for considering both basic problems of origin and transformation of gas hydrates in natural conditions and ways of exploitation of resources of natural gas hydrates.

9. Data Sources in Asian-Oceanic Countries The CODATA Task Group on Data Sources in Asian Oceanic Countries (DSAO), provides data experts in Asian-Oceanic countries with an organisation that encourages and facilitates regional knowledge sharing and co-operation in many areas of scientific and technical data. One area of particular emphasis is the promotion and development of reliable databases in this region.

10. Fundamental Constants The CODATA Task Group onFundamental Constants periodically provides the scientific and technological communities with a self-consistent set of internationally recommended values of the basic constants and conversion factors of physics and chemistry based on all of the relevant data available at a given point in time. In calendar year 1999, the Task Group completed the production of a new set of constants based on information compiled over the previous two years

11. Global Species Data Network The names of organisms are the key to biodiversity communications and as such, provide access to the accumulated knowledge of all life on earth. However, despite the obvious value of a catalogue, no comprehensive indexing system yet exists. This lack of a widely accessible index, with inbuilt mechanisms for maintenance and updating, is a significant constraint on all nations wishing to fulfil their obligations under the Convention on Biological Diversity. The goal of the CODATA Task Group on Global Species Data Networks is to provide a uniform and validated quality index of names of all known species for use as a practical tool.

12. Preservation and Archiving of Scientific and Technical Data in Developing Countries The Task Group on “Preservation and Archiving of Scientific and Technological Data in Developing Countries” aims to promote a deeper understanding of the needs of developing countries with regard to long-term preservation, archiving and access to scientific and technological (S&T) data, and advance the development and adoption of improved archiving procedures, technologies, standards and policies. Furthermore provide an interdisciplinary forum and mechanisms for exchanging information about S&T data Archiving requirements and activities with particular focus on the concerns and needs of developing countries.

13. National Members Brazil Japan Cameroon Korea Canada Nigeria Chinese Academy of Sciences Poland Academy located in Taipei Russia Czech Republic Senegal France South Africa India Sweden Indonesia Thailand Israel Ukraine Italy USA

14. CODATA Co-opted Delegates • ICSU Panel on World Data Centers (WDC) • Federation of Astronomical and Geophysical Services (FAGS) • International Council of Scientific and Technical Information (ICSTI) • World Federation for Culture Collections (WFCC)

15. CODATA Union Delegates • International Astronomical Union (IAU) • International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) • International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP) • International Union of Biological Sciences (IUBS) • International Geographical Union (IGU) • International Union of Crystallography (IUCr) • International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (IUBMB) • International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) • International Union of Psychological Science (IUPsyS) • International Union of Pure and Applied Biophysics (IUPAB) • International Union of Nutritional Sciences (IUNS) • International Union of Pharmacology (IUPHAR) • International Union of Immunological Societies (IUIS) • International Union of Microbiological Societies (IUMS) • International Union of Soil Scientists (IUSS)

16. International Conference CODATA holds biennial international conferences on the latest advances in scientific and technical data issues. They attract approximately 250 participants from all over the world and from all scientific disciplines.The last conference took place in Montreal in October 2002. The Proceedings are now available on http://www.codata.org.

17. CODATA For more information, please contact the CODATA Executive Director,Ms Kathleen CassCODATA Secretariat 51 Bld du Montmorency, 75016 ParisPh+ 33 1 45 25 04 96Fax: + 33 1 42 88 14 66E-mail: codata@dial.oleane.comhttp://www.codata.org