Guidelines for Data Sharing

[hattonb@queen.env.qld.gov.au (Benjamin Hatton)]

Hello everyone,

Spurred by the recent post be Greg Long, I've decided to stop lurking
in the shadows and present myself and my work to you all.

My name is Benjamin Hatton, and I am on contract to Qld Department of
Environment, thanks to the funding of what was the Qld Land
Information Council (soon to become the Qld Spatial Information
Infrastructure Council).

I am now in the final stages of a 12-month project titled "Guidelines
for Interagency Data Sharing Using Computer Networks".  Guidelines and
a prototype system are being developed to create an cross-department
network through which GIS users can efficiently discover and exchange
data (spatial and other information).  The prototype, DEW (Data
Exchange Web), demonstrates standardisation of network protocols and
services, data formats and data documentation.

As with the ICMISS (see Greg Long's post), we are making strong usage
of existing Web-based technologies to deliver information to the user.
Data providers can implement the Guildelines by presenting resources
through a number of standardised interfaces, however they retain the
flexibility to store and manage data using their own agency-specific
methods.  The Guidelines define standard interfacing for personal
messaging, group messaging, and browsing, discovery and
transfer of resources.

Information Resources (spatial data, metadata, graphics, documents,
programs, etc.) are presented as compact summaries containing metadata
elements.  These summaries may encapsulate data products consisting of
many (possibly distributed) files, and may present resources which do
not easily map to a single file (eg databases).  All resources,
whether spatial, textual or databases, may be indexed spatially, and
may use whatever ANZLIC metadata elements are relevent to the resource
(and may incorporate further elements ala ANZLIC page concept).  The
summaries are indexed and presented to the network though a Z39.50
interface, and so provide a truely distributed architecture.  We
anticipate that most resource summaries will include web links to
on-line storage, so that data can be accessed immediately - directly
from the provider (custodian).

Data providers have many options available in the way they present
their data, and we are developing several demonstrations which show
how options can be implemented.  These include:
	Presentation of Tiled Data Sets
	Drill Down into Data
	Database Interfacing
	Project presentation
	Licensing Options (on-line,off-line,billing)
	Sub-architectures and access control for Intra-agency use

The project will be presented to Qld State Government GIS users during
May 1997.  Unfortunately, none of the work so far is available on the
Internet, since this is a Intranet application.  As we complete
documentation, we will try to make it available on the Department of
Environment Web Site.  I'll notify you all through this mailing list
at that time.

Please drop me a line if you'd like any further information about the
project. You can contact me at:

  Benjamin Hatton                 Benjamin Hatton
  GIS Section                     Manager
  PO Box 155                      Engineering Intuition
  Brisbane Albert St 4002         PO Box 425
  Ph: (07) 3227 6459              Clayfield 4011
  Fx: (07) 3227 6386              Ph: (07) 3225 0448

  Email: Ben.Hatton@queen.env.qld.gov.au

-- 

Benjamin Hatton				Engineering Intuition
Manager 				PO Box 425
Ph: +61 7 3255 0448			Clayfield 4011
					Australia

There are three kinds of people - those who can count and those who
can't.