Ensuring equitable access to ocean and coastal information to advance knowledge and inform decision-making: The global Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries Abstracts

Abstract

While the oceans are vitally important for human life and the global economy, they have been under extraordinary pressure in recent decades due to human interactions and climate change. Launched in 1971, the Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries Abstracts (ASFA) database of over four million records serves as an invaluable information source about the oceans and other aquatic environments for use in research and decision-making, particularly due to its inclusion of both primary and grey literature. Since information production and use practices are rapidly changing, an assessment of use of the database and information needs of stakeholders was conducted, guided by the following questions: 1) What do individuals (researchers, practitioners, students, and decision makers) seeking aquatic sciences and fisheries information expect the global ASFA database will provide? 2) Have evolving information production practices and delivery technologies affected expectations of users of a database like ASFA? and 3) What action should the ASFA Secretariat take to ensure the development of the database continues to fulfil its mandate as a highly relevant and informative resource for all types of users worldwide? By means of surveys, interviews, and analysis of longitudinal usage data, users' views of ASFA's strengths, weaknesses, and potentially beneficial enhancements were identified. Based on the results of the use assessment, the ASFA Secretariat has implemented several substantial changes, including creating an open information platform containing grey literature, as well as restructuring its international affiliate partnership arrangement to facilitate involvement of new members in ongoing additions to the database. These changes, designed to make the information more easily found, accessible, and interoperable, will enable aquatic and fisheries scientists, managers, students, and decision makers to use relevant primary and grey literature from around the world and assist with ocean and coastal research efforts, mitigation of the effects of climate change, and reaching global sustainability goals.