Information System for scientific and spatial data

The common way to publish research findings is the publication in scientific journals. In several publications, interpretations based on primary data are presented, which were generated, processed and analyzed by the authors. However, these gross data are normally not published or accessible to other researchers.

In the DSSP we will publish the data generated during the program to facilitate its reuse, for example, by future students. A data policy dedicated to the program will regulate data sharing by taking into account the national legislation as well as the regulations of the National University of Colombia on intellectual property and data privacy protection.

Spatial data will play an important role in research. To train students in the analysis of spatial processes within their research territories, training in GIS (QGIS) is part of the curriculum. Spatial data generated during fieldwork or received from external sources will be published using technologies and standards applied in the so-called Spatial Data Infrastructures (SDI). A “Scientific Data and Maps Portal”, which consists of a metadata catalogue and a map viewer, will be online and maintained by the IDEA. This will allow users not only to search and download scientific data of any kind but also to interactively create their own maps by combining different thematic layers offered by the data portal catalogue. This allows the IDEA to offer a complementary tool for the Observatory of Environmental Conflicts (OCA) thus strengthening the socio-ecological vision of the territory.

Environmental Information System

The information system developed in the program has been called the Environmental Information System of the Environmental Studies Institute (SIAMI). It has been developed as a virtual platform for environmental data management based on free and open-source software. It systematizes spatial (geographic layers) and non-spatial (alphanumeric) information associated with the relationships between cultural and natural systems. SIAMI allows the visualization of unpublished information produced within the framework of the DSSP, IDEA and the whole National University, and easily shares environmental findings from research and projects. The platform is composed of three applications: the metadata catalogue, the geo-viewer and the enhanced version of the (OCA).