he 2016 Arctic Observing Summit Conference Statement (www.arcticobservingsummit.org) confirms the need for continued development of a globally connected data and information system of systems. Following on developments during the IPY and further evolved over a series of workshops and publications, the polar data community has been working together towards practical, useful, stable, and interoperable infrastructures to support Arctic research and communities. The Arctic community identified interoperability as a foundational goal and theme. Interoperability can be defined as properties of data and information systems that allow them to connect to, and share with, other information products or systems in the present or future without unintended restrictions. However, interoperability is far more than an exercise in engineering. A truly interoperable, globally connected polar data system is a socio-technical system that crosses many scales and knowledge domains. Although developing an interoperable system is complex and challenging, significant progress is being made. In November of 2016, 60 representatives from 17 countries and more than 15 polar data organizations and initiatives participated in the Polar Connections Interoperability Workshop. Based on a pre-workshop analysis and survey, several themes were used to organize the meeting activities: Data discovery and services. Representing Indigenous Knowledge, Community Based Monitoring, and the social sciences. Virtual Research Environments and Cloud computing. Governance and sustainability. Capacity building (cross-cutting). During the workshop, participants. Recognized that many remaining challenges are social rather than technical, such as supporting human networks, promoting standards, and aligning policy with implementation; Confirmed the need for interoperable, federated data discovery and identified existing systems to address this need; Identified key data services and models in support of priority goals; Enhanced models for engaging Indigenous people(s); Initiated connections to global data and information communities for broader interoperability and engagement, including RDA, ESA, and others. We conclude by summarizing outcomes to date, benefits to researchers and communities and proposing next steps.
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A number of recent conferences, workshops and meetings have confirmed that there are many national, regional and local projects and programs that are active in polar data mana - gement and stewardship and also have a mandate or desire to contribute to regional or international coordination of effort and activities. Many of those initiatives have resources available and are making progress towards an envisioned connected, interoperable polar data system. The international polar data community is eager to improve cooperation and coordination of their efforts. In the spring of 2018, representatives from a wide range of different active programs and projects will come together to focus on work planning and coordination of effort. This meeting will complement past workshops and fora (e.g. IPY, Polar Data Forums etc.) that have been effective in defining important community challenges and technical issues. The focus of the planned meeting will be to generate detailed plans on how best to mobilise existing and soon-to-be initiated funded activities to develop a particular international data sharing case study. At the annual meetings of the Arctic Data Committee and the Standing Committee on Antarctic Data Management held in Montreal in September 2017, a focus on the sharing of meteorological observations and linking to existing terrestrial data networks was discussed as one possibility. Discussions on the precise nature of the case study will continue, a decision will be taken during the fall of 2017 and it will be reported in this paper. The meeting will be co-led and co-organized by key polar data projects and programs. As of writing, organizers include: IASC/SAON Arctic data Committee; SCAR Standing Committee on Antarctic Data Management; Southern Ocean Observing System; Global Cryosphere Watch and related WMO activities; Polar View; Arctic Spatial Data Infrastructure; EU Arctic Cluster including 8 current EU funded projects; GEO Cold Regions Initiative; Canadian Polar Data Workshop Network; Canadian Consortium on Arctic Data Interoperability; representatives from the Arctic Social Science Community; Research Data Alliance. One International Indigenous organization was part of the initial conceptualization of project in June of 2017 and more input is needed and is actively being sought from Indigenous organizations. In this presentation we report details of the planning process, the established case study, possible inte roperability mechanisms and a discussion of the collaborative process involved in bringing together data stewards from around the Arctic, Antarctica and beyond.
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