GODC/DOC/2003-1
 
   
Data Centre Documents  

 

Ghana Oceanographic Data Centre

Marine Fisheries Research Division

P. O. Box BT-62

Tema

Ghana

 

August, 2003

   

Preface

 

The Data Centre Documents describes the organization, responsibilities and activities of the Data Centre. 

The Documents considered here include the Data Centre Fact Sheet and the Format Documentation. The Fact Sheet gives a summary of the Data Centre Overview together with the Roles & Responsibilities of the Data Centre and the Policies & Procedures of the Data Centre. 

The Formats Documentation is a set of descriptions of the principal formats the Data Centre has selected for its operations.

I wish to acknowledge the support of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO and the Government of Flanders in the preparation of this document. 

   

August 2003.

  Contents

   

Chapter                                                                          

   

1          Data Centre Fact Sheet                                 

2          Format Documentation                               

                         

Annexs

   

   1             Roles & Responsibilities of GODC

   2            GODC Data Policies & Procedures            

     

 

Chapter 1

   

 Fact Sheet

Ghana Oceanographic Data Centre (GODC) was inaugurated during the First ODINAFRICA National Workshop held in Accra on the 15th & 16th August 2002.

Members of the Ghana National Commission for Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (GNC/IOC), Ghana National Commission for UNESCO (GNC/UNESCO) and scientists from other participating institutions were present.  The participants signed an undertaking to collaborate with the Centre and The Roles & Responsibilities (See Annex I) and The Policies & Procedures of GODC were adopted (See Annex II).

The Centre is responsible for Physical, Chemical, Biological and Geophysical Oceanographic Datasets.

GODC is hosted by the Marine Fisheries Research Division of the Fisheries Department of the Ministry of Food & Agriculture, in Tema.

   MISSION STATEMENT

  The Ghana Oceanographic Data Centre is to facilitate the acquisition and management of marine data and information, the dissemination of ocean data products and provision of bibliographic services to a variety of user groups.

 

 

  Chapter 2

    Format Documentation

The Formats used by Ghana Oceanographic Data Centre in the processing, quality-control and analysis of marine datasets are as follows: 

  1. Principal Archive Formats

a) Ocean Station Data – Relational Database Management System (RDMS)

b) Smaller Files of Gridded Ocean Station Data – Surfer

c) Large Gridded Data and Satellite Data – Hierarchical Data Format (HDF)

d) Pictures – Tagged Image Format (TIF) 

  1. Metadata Format – Marine Environmental Data Inventory (MEDI)

   3.   Working Formats

            a) Ocean Data View – TSV-O (Tab Separated Value) 

b) Surfer - XYZ 

  4.  Export Formats – TSV-O                       

  5. GIS Product Formats – DXF (Digital Exchange Format) and SHP (Shape File)

  6.  Ancillary Formats – BLN and DXF

     

Annex 1

  ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES  

The Roles and Responsibilities of the Oceanographic Data Centre herein after referred to as GODC shall be to:

1.   Collect, process, stock, archive and manage oceanographic data and information in Ghana.

2.   Serve as a Reference Centre for oceanographic data and information in Ghana.

3.   Coordinate with oceanographic data and information holding institutions and any other national sectors.

4.  Negotiate with each data and information holding institution and other national sectors on the conditions under which data     and information are made available.

5.  Collaborate with the various data and information institution and other any national sectors in data and information standardisation and quality assurance.

6.  Participate in the collection of oceanographic data and information.

7.  Organise working sessions with the various ocean data and information holding institutions and other national sectors to validate and discuss abnormalities in data and information.

8.      Participate in the international exchange of data and information.

  9.  Any other matters or activities relevant to the roles and responsibilities of GODC                  

 

   Annex II

  GODC DATA POLICIES & PROCEDURES

Code on Data Management in GODC (2002)

The ODINAFRICA Project has a common approach to data management:

·        It will be of benefit for scientists working in the country and for the community of marine researchers in general         

·        It will make effective use of resources allocated by the Sponsors of the Project (Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO) and

·        It will ensure that properly documented and quality controlled data sets are available for public use.

The Code on Data Management in GODC (2002) draws on today's best understanding of how to combine scientific interests, public awareness and legal issues.

POLICIES

Policy 1.  GODC will be as flexible as possible with regard to access to its oceanographic databank, in the interests of promoting science, technology and development in line with the ideals of the International Oceanographic Data & Information Exchange (IODE) Programme

Policy 2a.  GODC will acknowledge and recognize the originator(s) for all data supplied. Data with restriction caveats will only be provided after the consent of the originator has been obtained.

 Policy 2b.  GODC will make all data held in the national archive freely available for research or public good purposes once restriction caveats have been expired.

Policy 3.  GODC will accept oceanographic data in any format and media.

Policy 4.  GODC will ensure the acquisition of high quality oceanographic data through the provision of documentation, instruction and continual feedback to the other national institutions.

Policy 5.  GODC will make metadata (and documentation) submitted in association with data sets available in a suitable format to national institutions and the appropriate international agencies on request. Metadata has no restriction of use.

Policy 6.  GODC will distribute data holdings in a readily accessible, uniform and comprehensive form within a reasonable time frame to the requester.

Policy 7.  GODC will request data from any NODC and World Data Centre A (Oceanography) on behalf of institutions and individual scientists.

Policy 8.  GODC will forward data submitted to any NODC and World Data Centre A (Oceanography) with the permission of the originator. GODC will acknowledge the originator as the source of the data set.

Policy 9.    Data are made available free of charge to bona fide scientific users.  However GODC retains the right to make a nominal charge in certain circumstances to cover relevant expenses incurred in the transfer of the data.

Policy 10.   Requests to the GODC for the preparation of products such as maps, gridded means, etc will attract a charge.  

Policy 11.  GODC reserves the right to withhold data from requesters, who are themselves sources of oceanographic data but who refuse to contribute to the databank.

Policy 12.    Acknowledgement of data source must be made in all publications. These data may not be passed on to a third party without permission from the originator / GODC.

Policy 13.    GODC will endeavour to store data submissions in standard formats suitable for long term archival and expedite exchange with the appropriate local partners and international agencies. GODC will process data into a suitable format for international exchange to expedite the exchange process.

Policy 14.   GODC will make every effort to ensure the accuracy of its data       and products. However no responsibility will be accepted by the GODC for any consequential loss or damage arising from its use.

Policy 15.  GODC will ensure that originators of data are notified of errors detection and changes made are logged to indicate the nature of the error including the original value and the new value which has replaced it.

Policy 16.   All users of GODC data are requested to report to GODC any errors detected or possible corrections to be made in the supplied data.

Policy 17.   GODC will permanently archive original data submissions on suitable storage media to ensure the long - term integrity of the data.

Policy 18.   Documentation submitted with the data sets including scientific papers describing details and analysis of specific data sets will be archived and cross referenced with the data sets.

  This Code will serve as our working document that would bind participating institutions and organizations.