Abstract
Scientific data problems do not stand in isolation. They are part of a larger set of challenges associated with the escalation of scientific information and changes in scholarly communication in the digital environment. Biologists in particular are generating enormous sets of data at a high rate, and new discoveries in the biological sciences will increasingly depend on the integration of data across multiple scales. This work will require new kinds of information expertise in key areas. To build this professional capacity we have developed two complementary educational programs: a Biological Information Specialist (BIS) masters degree and a concentration in Data Curation (DC). We believe that BISs will be central in the development of cyberinfrastructure and information services needed to facilitate interdisciplinary and multi-scale science. Here we present three sample cases from our current research projects to illustrate areas in which we expect information specialists to make important contributions to biological research practice.
Highlights
Recent reports on cyberinfrastructure and e-science initiatives recognize a shortage of qualified professionals to manage the increasing stores of data across the sciences (National Science Board [NSB], 2005)
Our approach to Biological Information Specialist (BIS) and Data Curation (DC) education is grounded in the recognition that while the volume of information is escalating in the digital environment, the character of information and research is changing
Other Graduate School of Library and Information Science (GSLIS) research projects are feeding into our base of knowledge and expertise, especially the ECHODep digital preservation project, funded by the Library of Congress under their National Digital Information Infrastructure Preservation Program (NDIIPP) 2 Our research provides real-world cases and specific instances of data and information management problems around which to develop our curriculum
Summary
Recent reports on cyberinfrastructure and e-science initiatives recognize a shortage of qualified professionals to manage the increasing stores of data across the sciences (National Science Board [NSB], 2005). This situation calls for a new breed of information professional trained in best practices of biological information collection and management, and who is knowledgeable about the differences and commonalities of these practices across domains and can promote interoperability and sharing To build this kind of professional capacity, we have developed two complementary educational programs at the Graduate School of Library and Information Science (GSLIS) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, a Biological Information Specialist (BIS) masters degree and a concentration in Data Curation (DC). Our approach to BIS and DC education is grounded in the recognition that while the volume of information is escalating in the digital environment, the character of information and research is changing These larger collections can in turn be mapped to environmental models and geological surface conditions to predict ranges under climate change scenarios, an application 18th century scientists never would have dreamed of when they first carefully recorded information about a newly collected specimen
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 
Published Version
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call