Curating Data At the NSSDC
The curation scientist will prepare a brief description of the data
collection for the
NSSDC Master Catalog,
which will be used to help potential users of the data collection
determine if this is the one they want.
Examples of the kinds of information needed are:
- Identification: the spacecraft and experiment(s) (or ground
station(s) and instrument(s)) that the data collection
came from and the data provider and institution
- Information about and documentation for the data:
quantities measured (fields, particle species, etc.),
energy or frequency channels, look directions,
time/frequency/energy resolution, accuracy, format description,
machine representation or platform used to write the records,
UNIX/VAX, binary/ASCII, etc.
- Description of the operation and calibration of the instrument,
including the citation of publications that describe it.
- Description of relevant features of the spacecraft, orbit,
telemetry, or the location of the instrument. If the spacecraft
is spinning, the spin axis direction and spin period. If the
spacecraft is three-axis stabilized, indicate the orientation.
Include publication citations if available.
- Display and/or distribution options at NSSDC: make available
on-line via FTP; transmit to SPDF for inclusion with the
appropriate service (e.g., CDAWeb, ModelsWeb, COHOWeb).
- Proprietary restrictions, if any.
- Relationship(s) to other data collections in the archive
or held by the data provider (or elsewhere).