[open-science] Looking for Climate Data group editors!

Mon Dec 21 15:23:26 UTC 2009

On Mon, Dec 21, 2009 at 2:20 PM, Finn Aarup Nielsen <fn at imm.dtu.dk> wrote:
> Interesting! I have been looking for such a nice list.

Great - we very much hope that it will be a useful resource. We are
currently trying to make it more comprehensive by integrating other
similar lists! Also this will be a useful way to start to make
enquiries about whether datasets are open or not.

If anyone is interested in helping out - please let me know!

> I am wondering about the now famous CRU HadCRUT3 data set.
> On this page http://ckan.net/package/uea-cru-hadcrut3 it says that the data
> is open. However, on the 'Met office' homepage
> http://hadobs.metoffice.com/hadcrut3/terms_and_conditions.html
> it says: "The material may be downloaded to file or printer for the purposes
> of private study and scientific research. Any other proposed use of the
> material is subject to a copyright licence available from the Met Office".

Indeed - I recall that before the UEA CRU website was taken down, it
distributed another copy of the data, which seemed to only require
attribution for others to reuse it. Thats what the ue-cru-hadcrut3
page is about:

  http://ckan.net/package/uea-cru-hadcrut3

The Met Office copy is at:

  http://ckan.net/package/uk-metoffice-hadcrut3

And, as you say the Met Office data does not seem to be open.

> http://opendefinition.org/1.0 has "The license shall not restrict any party
> from selling or giving away the work either on its own or as part of a
> package made from works from many different sources."
>
> I would say that the Met Office directly restricts redistribution as stated
> in The Open Knowledge Definition.

Fully agree!

> Maybe a more Open Knowledge compatible license is available from the CRU web
> site? However, due to the security breach they now have changed the web site
> so the CKAN links does not work.

Yes - you're right. I think we should leave this for now, rather than
point to Met Office copy, as it could be that the original UEA CRU
copy comes back, including the less restrictive license.

See, e.g., the page on the Wayback machine from May 2008:

  http://web.archive.org/web/20080523203513/http://www.cru.uea.ac.uk/cru/data/index.htm

Which states:

  The various datasets on the CRU website are provided for all to use,
provided the sources are acknowledged. Acknowledgement should
preferably be by citing one or more of the papers referenced on the
appropriate page. The website can also be acknowledged if deemed
necessary. CRU will endeavour to update the majority of the data pages
at timely intervals although this cannot be guaranteed by specific
dates.

Best wishes,

Jonathan

> all the best
> Finn
> ___________________________________________________________________
>
>         Finn Aarup Nielsen, DTU Informatics, Denmark
>  Lundbeck Foundation Center for Integrated Molecular Brain Imaging
>   http://www.imm.dtu.dk/~fn/      http://nru.dk/staff/fnielsen/
> ___________________________________________________________________
>
>

-- 
Jonathan Gray

Community Coordinator
The Open Knowledge Foundation
http://www.okfn.org