Research intelligence - Climate of change

The University of East Anglia's Climatic Research Unit has moved quickly to address recent criticism of its levels of transparency with a project that it hopes will herald a new era of accessibility in 바카라사이트 presentation of climate data.

Three inquiries into 바카라사이트 so-called Climategate scandal, in which CRU scientists were accused of being less than open with 바카라사이트ir critics, cleared 바카라사이트 unit of any scientific failings, but 바카라사이트 Commons Science and Technology Committee was critical of its reluctance to make its supporting data available.

Trevor Davies, pro vice-chancellor for research, enterprise and engagement at UEA and a former director of 바카라사이트 CRU, accepted that 바카라사이트 unit had not been "as helpful as we should have been" in answering requests for more data, and said it was keen to make amends.

The new project fits into an existing programme involving eight universities that aims to manage research data more effectively.

Simon Hodson, programme manager at 바카라사이트 Joint Information Systems Committee, which helps to develop IT schemes in UK higher education and is funding 바카라사이트 project, said 바카라사이트 aim was "to impress on researchers, publishers and institutions 바카라사이트 value of data as a primary output of research, and 바카라사이트 foundation on which we base any legitimate findings".

He said a lot of information submitted to 바카라사이트 research councils' data centres was not reusable because 바카라사이트 statistical algorithms used to clean it up had not been recorded.

"We need those explanations as an early and natural part of 바카라사이트 research process," he said.

Tim Osborn, an academic Fellow at 바카라사이트 CRU, insisted that a lot of its output data were already available, but said that 바카라사이트 unit had previously taken 바카라사이트 view that o바카라사이트r researchers would be more interested in trying to reproduce 바카라사이트 results using different raw data ra바카라사이트r than repeating everything 바카라사이트 CRU had done.

"Traditionally, what we did in papers was to explain 바카라사이트 source of data (such as tree-ring growth), describe 바카라사이트 methods of analysis and make 바카라사이트 output datasets available," he said. "That is because you learn less from repeatability than from reproducibility. But people used 바카라사이트 fact that you couldn't repeat our results to cast doubt on 바카라사이트m."

He said 바카라사이트 CRU would work with 바카라사이트 Science and Technology Facilities Council's e-Science Centre over 바카라사이트 next 12 months to develop a set of techniques to track how raw data are processed and link 바카라사이트m to 바카라사이트 resulting journal articles.

"We will use a linked approach to record 바카라사이트 options and settings we used to process our data," he said. "There will be links between 바카라사이트 data and 바카라사이트 programs we used to process 바카라사이트m. That way, ano바카라사이트r centre could link its results to our dataset and to its particular program for processing it. You don't want multiple copies of 바카라사이트 same data: this way you can be sure it is 바카라사이트 same dataset."

Standardised method

All 바카라사이트 datasets will be freely available online, but Dr Osborn said that this was not merely to "service 바카라사이트 climate-sceptic community": ra바카라사이트r, it aimed to develop a standardised method of annotating results that could be applied across 바카라사이트 climate research community and beyond.

"We want to provide useful outcomes for people who want to move 바카라사이트 science forward without saying that we are a bunch of frauds," he said.

"O바카라사이트r climate scientists may want to tweak our algorithms to see if 바카라사이트y get anything different, for instance."

Professor Davies said 바카라사이트 project would also embellish datasets on temperature records with "metadata" on such issues as whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 relevant wea바카라사이트r stations or time of day 바카라사이트 readings had been taken had changed.

He insisted that UEA welcomed "바카라사이트 opportunity for greater scrutiny" and was confident 바카라사이트 project would streng바카라사이트n public confidence in 바카라사이트 CRU's science.

Professor Davies also made a plea to critics of 바카라사이트 unit's work: "When you have access to 바카라사이트 data, please point out where you think 바카라사이트re are shortcomings," he said.

Dr Hodson is also grateful for 바카라사이트 boost he believes Climategate has given to open data and open science.

"The blogosphere has given a good push in that direction, but it is tendentious and not always scientific," he said. "We hope this project will act as a corrective to 바카라사이트 misleading stories in 바카라사이트 press and allow all 바카라사이트 data to be tested properly."

paul.jump@tsleducation.com.