Practical Use of the GEOSS Common Infrastructure by Environmental Research Infrastructures – Lessons from a COOPEUS-GEOSS Workshop

Abstract:

The GEOSS Common Infrastructure (GCI) enables earth observations data providers to make their resources available in a global context and allow users of earth observations data to search, access and use data, tools and services available through the Global Earth Observation System of Systems. COOPEUS views the GCI as an important platform promoting cross-disciplinary approaches in the studies of multifaceted environmental challenges, and the research infrastructures (RIs) in COOPEUS are currently in the process of registering resources and services within the GCI. To promote this work, COOPEUS and GEOSS held a joint workshop in July 2014, where the main scope was to get data managers of the COOPEUS RIs involved and establish the GCI as part of the COOPEUS interoperability framework. The workshop revealed that data policies of the individual RIs can often be the first impediment for their use of the GCI. As many RIs are administering data from many sources, permission to distribute the data must be in place before registration in the GCI. Through hands-on exercises registering resources from the COOPEUS RIs, the first steps were taken to implement the GCI as a platform for documenting the capabilities of the COOPEUS RIs. These exercises gave important feedback for the practical implementation of the GCI as well as the challenges lying ahead. For the COOPEUS RIs providing data the benefits includes improved discovery and access to data and information, increased visibility of available data, information and services, which will promote the structuring of the existing environmental research infrastructure landscape and improve the interoperability. However, in order to attract research infrastructures to use the GCI, the registration process must be simplified and accelerated like for instance allowing for bulk data registration; the resource registration and feedback by COOPEUS partners can play an important role in these efforts.