IOC/IODE-XVII/28

Abstract

Recent developments, involving an informal community of software developers, data archivists and the IODE SG/OT, have led to a significant breakthrough in access to operational oceanographic data for training, national data collecting, and analytical synthesis work. However, due to their very “operationality” the data have received only basic quality-control, and new operational data cannot be simply added to existing collections without ensuring they meet the specified QC criteria. Instruction on data quality control concepts and procedures is already covered during training workshops and the tools are available to visually inspect new data. Work is underway to add supplementary tutorials to the IODE OceanTeacher to demonstrate the exact methods involved and, from 2003 these procedures will be included in the IODE capacity building program. This will provide a relatively easy procedure to assimilate operational data into traditional IODE national data collections.