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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).
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