Research Data Management and Connectivity for Neotropical Field Stations

热带野外站（TFS）产生的信息对提高生态、进化和生物系统知识至关重要，并提供与热带生态系统养护和管理直接相关的社会学、生物学和经济过程相关的核心数据。TFS的特点是位于较不发达国家的偏远地点，通常由来自不同家庭机构的研究人员临时使用，其相互作用受到学科、文化、国家和语言障碍的限制。尽管如此，它们对揭示气候变化的影响和热带生态系统管理原则具有重要意义。尽管保存和提供TFS所产生的信息很重要，但对于规范这些场址的数据文件、元数据集的生成或总体数据管理的准则没有达成一致意见。此外，TFS之间还没有与适当的通信网络连接。缺乏框架限制了比较分析，并危及数据集的长期效用。TFS的一些特点——比如位于欠发达国家的偏远地区及其多学科、多语言和跨文化的用户群——在一定程度上导致了它们在数据管理和连接方面的不发达阶段。热带研究组织与其他主要的热带台站合作，提议制订一个规划进程（包括两个阶段：需求分析和原型开发），以期就准则达成协商一致意见，有效地管理新热带实地台站的数据管理和利用。预期的产品是：(i)一份文件，说明TFS中数据管理和连接的需求和特征；（ii）就数据管理和连接问题的基本准则和建议达成共识；一个经过测试的原型，供以后使用，涉及大量的外地站；（iv）关于所采用的程序、所产生的问题和解决办法的报告；（五）建议在新热带地区野外站更广泛地实施相互联系的数据管理系统。4

Tropical Field Stations (TFS) generate information vital to the advance of ecological, evolutionary, biosystematic knowledge, as well as providing core data relevant to sociological, biological and economic processes directly related to the conservation and management of tropical ecosystems. TFS are characterized by being sites at remote locations in less developed countries, often used on a temporary basis by researchers from different home institutions, and whose interactions are restricted by disciplinary, cultural, national and language barriers. Nonetheless, they hold an important key to unveiling the effects of climate change and the principles of ecosystem management in the tropics. In spite of the importance of preserving and making accessible the information generated at TFS, there is no consensus on the guidelines that should regulate data documentation, generation of metadata sets or overall data management at these sites. Furthermore, TFS are not yet connected among themselves with a suitable communications network. This lack of a framework restricts comparative analysis and jeopardizes the long-term utility of the data sets. Some characteristics of TFS --such as remote locations in less developed countries and their multidisciplinary, multilingual, and transcultural set of users-- are, in part, responsible for their underdeveloped stage regarding data management and connectivity. In cooperation with other leading tropical stations, the Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS) proposes the development of a planning process (consisting of two phases: needs-analysis and prototype development) that will seek a consensus on the guidelines that will effectively regulate data management and accessibility at neotropical field stations. Expected products are: (i) a document specifying the needs and characteristics of data management and connectivity in TFS; (ii) a consensus on basic guidelines and recommendations for data management and connectivity issues; (iii) a tested prototype for later implementation involving a large array of field stations; (iv) a report on the procedures applied and the problems and solutions generated; and (v) a proposal for wider implementation of interconnected data management systems at neotropical field stations. iv