[Q:] The GEOSS 10-Year Implementation Plan as adopted in 2005 explicitly acknowledges the importance of data sharing in achieving the GEOSS vision and anticipated societal benefits. Almost 5 years later do you think data sharing is still critically important, and what is your assessment of the importance of data sharing in the GEOSS vision and its successful implementation?
... If we want GEOSS to be a facility for the whole world, including not just wealthy countries and companies but countries with limited resources, then data sharing will be critical. Although its ultimate goal is to facilitate informed decision making, GEOSS is also a vital tool for scientific research and, as you know, research communities cannot usually afford to pay for data. Therefore, the need for data sharing and for the free and open access to data are of paramount importance to the success of GEOSS. ...
The open access movement:
Putting peer-reviewed scientific and scholarly literature
on the internet. Making it available free of charge and
free of most copyright and licensing restrictions.
Removing the barriers to serious research.
I recommend the OA tracking project (OATP) as the best way to stay on top of new OA developments. You can read the OATP feed on a blog-like web page or subscribe to it by RSS, email, or Twitter. You can also help build the feed by tagging new developments you encounter.
