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- Adding your data set description
to the GCMD
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"It takes too much of my time to write a record." |
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Using docBUILDER a record can
be written in as little as 10 minutes. There are only 6 required fields in the
DIF, so you can include just the basic information and submit it. The GCMD staff
will take care of the rest.
Alternatively, you can email a description to the GCMD staff at
gcmdso@gcmd.nasa.gov, and we'll write
the DIF for you!
| "I'll lose control of my data set if I include it in the GCMD." |
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Not at all. The GCMD only contains descriptions
of your data or data service, not the data set itself. You remain in total
control of your data set/service and its dissemination.
| "Any established researcher will know where to get data,
why should I include mine in the GCMD?" |
- There is an immense amount of data being collected at present. It is difficult for
anyone to keep on top of it all. True, established researchers may know where to find
data in their own area of expertise, but what if they are investigating a new specialty or
comparing their research with that of another discipline (such as the effects of
global warming on human health)?
Including your DIF will not only help those outside your area of research find useful data
but will also help graduate students and other researchers find the data in the absence
of any established connections.
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"I'm not set up to handle the distribution of my data. If I
put a record into the GCMD I'll be swamped with requests." |
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While it is true the GCMD gets over 38,000 visits and over 5 million hits per month, there are several ways to
effectively manage and control your data. If your data is unrestricted, you can place it
on-line. We'll provide a hypertext link directly to it from the record. You may never have to
field a data request.
If your data have restricted access or an associated cost,
you can indicate so in the record. This may discourage unqualified users or commercial data mining
entities. You would then be contacted only with serious
inquiries.
Placing the data on an ftp site is another option. If it is unrestricted, an
anonymous ftp site is best. If its access is restricted, your record can promt users to contact you
for the login.
| "My data is not free, therefore I can't include it in the GCMD." |
Sure you can! One of the DIF fields under the
Distribution group is Distribution fees. The
cost of the data can also be included in the Summary.
| | "My data may not be of good enough quality to include in the GCMD." |
If you are worried about data quality issues, include
your concerns under the Quality
field of the DIF.
| "If my data have access and/or use restrictions, can I still include it in the GCMD?" |
Yes, you can. There is both an Access
Constraints field and a Use
Constraints field in the DIF.
| "The GCMD is just getting started, I don't want to waste
my time with an untested system." |
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The GCMD has been around for over 20 years. From the beginning, the GCMD has stayed at
the forefront of database technology. The GCMD currently stores information in the Oracle relational
database, and our programmers have developed several easy-to-use DIF writing tools, including the
docBUILDER on-line metadata writing tools.
| "This didn't answer my questions/address my concerns." |
If you are still unsure about the GCMD or have any questions regarding its use,
please don't hesitate to contact the GCMD staff by E-mail:
gcmduso@gcmd.nasa.gov.
- Finding data with the GCMD
 | "There is no data in the GCMD." |
The GCMD is not a data repository. Although many DIFs
provide hypertext links directly to data, the GCMD is a
database of descriptions of
data sets, not the data sets themselves. We're more like
a card catalog of data. We'll help you find the right data
set, tell you what is included in it and who you need to
contact to get a hold of it. If the data set you want is
on-line, we'll even link you directly to it from the DIF.
| "It is difficult to get results from the GCMD." |
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The GCMD is one of the easiest databases
to search. There are several
ways to search the GCMD.
If you have used the GCMD before and/or know exactly what you are looking for, you can search by
typing your query into the full-text search. If you had no results using the full-text
search or are a first time user, the guided interface leads you through a series
of choices that will help you find what you seek.
| "There must be either a registration or cost involved to
use the GCMD!" |
Nope! All aspects of the GCMD are completely free with no registration required. Anyone
with an internet connection can add descriptions to the GCMD free of charge and/or search through
the GCMD database without cost. The GCMD is a public service of NASA.
| "This didn't answer my questions/address my concerns." |
If you are still unsure about the GCMD or have any questions regarding its use,
please don't hesitate to contact the GCMD staff by E-mail:
gcmduso@gcmd.nasa.gov.
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