Study on the Long-term Retention of Selected Scientific and Technical Records of the Federal Government -- Copyright -- Preface -- Contents -- APOCRYPHAL GOVERNMENT SERVICE AGENCY 1970s RECORD RETENTION RULES -- I Report of the Physics, Chemistry, and Materials Sciences Data Panel -- Contents -- 1 INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW -- What Data Should Be Preserved? -- Who Should Save the Data? -- Contents of This Report -- 2 CHARACTERISTICS OF DATA IN PHYSICS, CHEMISTRY, AND MATERIALS SCIENCES -- Characteristics Distinguishing Data in Physics, Chemistry, and Materials Sciences from Data in Field... -- The Nature and Kinds of Electronically Recorded Data in Physics, Chemistry, and Materials Sciences -- 3 DATA MANAGEMENT REQUIREMENTS -- Metadata, Algorithms, and References -- Classification -- Locator System -- Speed of Retrieval -- Storage Media -- Data Formats -- 4 ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLES OF ELECTRONIC RECORDS FROM PHYSICS, CHEMISTRY, AND MATERIALS SCIENCES -- Original Experimental Records -- Example 1: Atmospheric and Underground Nuclear Weapons Test Results -- Compiled Data -- Example 2: JANAF Thermochemical Tables -- Example 3: Evaluated Neutron Cross Sections -- Example 4: Center for Information and Data Analysis and Synthesis -- Example 5: Radiation Chemistry Data Center -- Engineering Data -- Example 6: Aluminum Fracture Toughness Data Bank -- NARA's Laboratory Data Holdings -- 5 DATA RETENTION AND RECORD PRESERVATION CRITERIA -- The Current System Is Effective Most of the Time -- 6 SUGGESTED ROLE OF THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINISTRATION -- Need for a "Repository of Last Resort" -- Broadening the Definition of "Archivable" and of "Secondary User" for Scientific Data -- More Flexibility on Data Formats and Storage Media -- Scientific and Technical Competence -- Interagency Cooperation and Communication -- Need for a Locator System.

Approaching the Ideal-Guidelines for the Preservation of Archivable Information -- 7 SUMMARY CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS -- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS -- BIBLIOGRAPHY -- II Report of the Space Sciences Data Panel -- Contents -- 1 INTRODUCTION -- 2 OVERVIEW OF SPACE SCIENCE DATA -- Planetary Data -- Structure of the PDS -- The Central Node -- Discipline Nodes -- Data Nodes -- The National Space Science Data Center -- Functions of the PDS -- Data Peer Review and Ingestion -- Data Distribution -- Support of Active Missions -- Promotion of Research -- Examples of Ingesting Data into the PDS -- Restoration of Data from an Inactive Planetary Mission -- Ingestion of Data from an Active Planetary Mission -- Magellan Venus Mission Case Study -- Lessons Learned from the Magellan Data Management Experience -- Summary of Findings and Conclusions -- Astronomy and Astrophysics Data -- Ground-based Astronomy and Astrophysics -- Space Astronomy and Astrophysics -- Disciplines and Representative Data Sets -- Evolution of Archival Procedures -- The Hubble Space Telescope Data Archive -- High-Energy Astrophysics Data -- Astrophysics Data System -- Summary of Findings and Conclusions -- Space Physics Data -- Introduction -- The Need to Preserve Data -- What Constitutes an Archivable Data Set? -- Scientific Participation in Data Decisions -- Current Status of Space Physics Data Archiving Activities at NASA -- The National Geophysical Data Center -- Summary of Findings and Conclusions -- 3 SPACE SCIENCE ARCHIVE MODEL -- Description of the Current Situation -- Data Management Requirements -- Archiving Organizations and Functions -- Issues Relating to the Archiving of Space Science Data -- Proposed Model -- Planning -- Discipline Data Centers -- Data Archive Centers -- "Deep" Archives -- Institutional Relationships -- International and Interagency Relationships.

NARA's Relationship with Other Agencies -- Documentation Requirements -- 4 SUGGESTED RETENTION CRITERIA AND APPRAISAL GUIDELINES -- Retention Criteria -- Ancillary Recommendations -- Examples of Data Sets That May Be Suitable for Archiving -- Planetary Science -- Astronomy and Astrophysics -- Space Physics -- Appraisal Guidelines -- Who Should Perform the Appraisal? -- When Appraisal Should Take Place-The Periodicity of Appraisals -- How the Appraisal Should Be Done-Steps in the Appraisal Process -- 5 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS -- Findings and Conclusions -- Recommendations -- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS -- BIBLIOGRAPHY -- III Report of the Atmospheric Sciences Data Panel -- Contents -- 1 INTRODUCTION -- 2 NATURE OF ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES DATA -- Traditional Meteorological Data -- Remote Sensing from Space -- Remote Sensing from the Surface -- Other Data Sets in the Atmospheric and Related Sciences -- Other Contemporaneous Observations -- Analyses, Forecasts, and Simulations -- Field Programs -- Paleoclimatology -- Laboratory Data -- 3 USES FOR ATMOSPHERIC DATA -- Uses from Real-time to Decades -- Long-term Retrospective Uses -- 4 ARRANGEMENTS FOR STORAGE AND ARCHIVING -- Where the Data Are -- National Climatic Data Center -- Other NOAA Holdings -- National Aeronautics and Space Administration -- Department of Defense -- National Archives and Records Administration -- Other Federal Agencies -- Non-Federal Holdings -- Data Life Cycles -- Collection and Initial Storage -- Metadata Preparation -- Packaging for the Hundred-Year Archive -- Archiving -- Migration -- Backups -- Processing and Reprocessing -- Rescuing and Restoring -- Special Problems of Large Data Sets -- Examples of Good Practice -- National Climatic Data Center -- National Center for Atmospheric Research -- Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center -- Pathfinder.

Retention Criteria -- Priorities -- Sampling -- Effects of Insufficient Budgets on Archiving -- 5 INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS AND NATIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES -- Custody of Data -- Advising and Information Sharing -- Directories and Access -- Motivation and Incentives -- 6 SUMMARY -- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS -- BIBLIOGRAPHY -- IV Report of the Ocean Sciences Data Panel -- Contents -- 1 INTRODUCTION -- 2 OCEANOGRAPHIC DATA -- Nature of Oceanographic Data -- Major Oceanographic Data Holdings in the United States -- Classes of Oceanographic Data -- Small-volume Data Sets -- Large-volume Data Sets -- Redundant Data -- 3 METADATA FOR LONG-TERM RETENTION OF OBSERVATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHIC DATA SETS -- Metadata Requirements -- ADEQUACY OF METADATA -- A Generalized Metadata Framework -- User Classifications -- Researcher -- Policymaker -- Educator -- General Public, Tertiary -- Data Set Classifications -- Volume -- Levels of Interpretation -- Collection Source Type -- Measurement Source Stability-Experimental Versus Verified Instruments -- Discipline -- Data Structure -- Observational Metadata Model -- Future Work Needed on the Observational Metadata Model -- Critical Issues for Implementation of a Metadata Model System -- 4 MAJOR ELEMENTS IN LIFE-CYCLE MANAGEMENT OF OBSERVATIONAL DATA SETS: CREATION THROUGH LONG-TERM RETENTION -- Data Originators and Primary Users -- Short-term Archives -- Long-term Archives -- The National Archives and Records Administration -- 5 SUMMARY CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS -- Retention Criteria and Appraisal Guidelines -- Conclusions -- Recommendations -- Ocean Metadata Requirements -- Conclusions -- Recommendations -- Major Elements in Life-cycle Management of Observational Data Sets -- Conclusions -- Recommendations -- V Report of the Geoscience Data Panel -- Contents -- 1 INTRODUCTION -- 2 DATABASE EXAMPLES -- The Landsat Database.

Database Characteristics -- Landsat Data Uses -- The WATSTORE/NWIS-II Database -- Database Characteristics -- Uses of the WATSTORE Database -- Seismic Data -- Characteristics of the Seismological Data -- Sources -- Volume -- Metadata -- Levels of Processing and Information Content -- Media and Formats -- Users of Seismic Data -- Conclusion -- The National Snow and Ice Data Center -- Characteristics of the Data Center -- Conclusion -- 3 RETENTION CRITERIA AND RELATED ISSUES -- Suggested Retention Criteria for Archiving Geoscience Data Sets -- Process and Schedule for Data Archiving -- Supporting Documentation -- Technology Considerations -- Subject Matter Expertise -- Proprietary Restrictions and Privacy -- 4 POLICY CONSIDERATIONS -- 5 SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS -- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS -- BIBLIOGRAPHY -- APPENDIX A List of Acronyms and Other Abbreviations -- APPENDIX B Pertinent Recommendations from the National Academy of Public Administration's 1991 Report.