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Communicating Science and Engineering Data in the Information Age (2012) / Chapter Skim
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5 The Way Ahead
Pages 79-86

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From page 79...
... But these are also uncertain times for federal government agencies like NCSES that are concerned over the future of their programs in light of fixed or declining budgets associated with the need to restrain government spending. There is a simultaneous growth in pressure to carefully evaluate all government activities to ensure their efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
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From page 80...
... These tools address 508 compliant alternatives to tabular displays, develop displays of complex sample survey data while protecting confidential microdata, and develop visualization tools for multifaceted statistical designs. And it can benefit from such projects as promoting data harmonization and integration through the development of metadata and data exchange.
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From page 81...
... Some recommendations must build on the implementation of others; for example, development of an open database structure that can support accessibility and dissemination through the use of open standards and formats requires that NCSES obtain from its contractors the data sufficient to make the results reproducible, in a format enabling automatic reproduction of all published tables, along with metadata sufficient to interpret the data elements and results. The implementation of the report's recommendations should be undertaken within an overall framework that accords priority to the basic quality of the data and the fundamentals of dissemination, then to significant enhancements that are achievable in the short term, while laying the groundwork for other long-term improvements.
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From page 82...
... The third track involves ensuring full short- and long-term access to NCSES content by providing open data, offering machine-accessible protocols for access to data and other products, and establishing a continuous process for replicating or archiving releases by the National Archives and Records Administration for long-term preservation and access. IMPROVING THE TRANSPARENCY AND REPRODUCIBILITY OF PUBLISHED RESULTS As noted in earlier chapters, it is not currently possible to automatically and systematically reproduce or validate all tables and results in NCSES published products from the raw data.
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From page 83...
... A first step is to develop a clearer understanding of requirements. In the first instance, the requirements for an NCSES dissemination program are essentially determined by the environment facing the agency, its legislative mandate, and guidance and directives from above.
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From page 84...
... The power of visualization tools to retrieve and explain the data leads to the suggestion that a major emphasis throughout the implementation period should be on providing data that can be easily accessed by visualization tools. We do suggest that NCSES develop visualizations beyond the kind of rudimentary ones that it already provides in the Science and Engineering Indicators Digest.
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From page 85...
... The data dissemination strategy of the agency, then, will have a substantial influence on the nation's future economic path. Technology is opening the door to significant advances in the ability to communicate data and analytical products to data users.
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From page 86...
... 86 COMMUNICATING SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING DATA accompanied by open metadata, and to develop the necessary infrastructure to exploit these advances. These evolving technologies could open opportunities for addressing the visualization experience and overcoming accessibility limitations more effectively than the current browser-based experiences.
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Key Terms

  • data users
  • data dissemination
  • dissemination program
  • metadata standard
  • track involves

  • federal statistical
  • data delivery
  • data exchange
  • statistical agencies
  • records administration

  • accords priority
  • national archives
  • statistical community
  • visualization tools
  • ncses products

  • overall framework
  • metadata standards
  • change management
  • providing data
  • data leads

  • flag data
  • promoting data
  • facilitate data
  • data magnified
  • communicate data

  • objective data
  • data display
  • ncses dissemination
  • harness data
  • raw data


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