Leveraging existing technology: Developing a trusted digital repository for the U.S. Geological Survey

International Journal of Digital Curation
By: , and 

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Abstract

As Federal Government agencies in the United States pivot to increase access to scientific data (Sheehan, 2016), the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has made substantial progress (Kriesberg et al., 2017). USGS authors are required to make federally funded data publicly available in an approved data repository (USGS, 2016b). This type of public data product, known as a USGS data release, serves as a method for publishing reviewed and approved data. In this paper, we present major milestones in the approach the USGS took to transition an existing technology platform to a Trusted Digital Repository. We describe both the technical and the non-technical actions that contributed to a successful outcome.We highlight how initial workflows revealed patterns that were later automated, and the ways in which assessments and user feedback influenced design and implementation. The paper concludes with lessons learned, such as the importance of a community of practice, application programming interface (API)-driven technologies, iterative development, and user-centered design. This paper is intended to offer a potential roadmap for organizations pursuing similar goals.

Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Leveraging existing technology: Developing a trusted digital repository for the U.S. Geological Survey
Series title International Journal of Digital Curation
DOI 10.2218/ijdc.v16i1.741
Volume 16
Issue 1
Year Published 2021
Language English
Publisher International Journal of Digital Curation
Contributing office(s) Science Analytics and Synthesis
Description 23 p.
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