# Presentation: 189598

## Speeding Nano Progress Using Information Diffusion

**Speeding Nano Progress Using Information Diffusion**

- Walt Warnick, Ph.D.
***Director, Office of Scientific and Technical Information***
***U.S. Department of Energy***

## Modeling – it’s possible

Metadata – numeric data, unlike textual data, requires metadata to ensure access

Stewardship – numeric data could follow model of textual STI management

**Three Topics Relating to Nano Info Diffusion**

**Modeling – it’s possible**
**Metadata – numeric data, unlike textual data, requires metadata to ensure access**
**Stewardship – numeric data could follow model of textual STI management**

## OSTI’s mission

**OSTI’s mission**

**To advance science and sustain technological creativity by making R&D findings available and useful to DOE researchers and the American people. **

**OSTI’s creed**

**Knowledge is contagious – it’s our job to make sure everyone “catches” it!**

## Science Progresses as Knowledge Is Shared

**OSTI corollary: *****If the sharing of knowledge – or knowledge diffusion – is accelerated, ******scientific progress is accelerated***

**Science Progresses as Knowledge Is Shared**

## Knowledge Diffusion Can Be Measured and Modeled

**Knowledge Diffusion Can Be Measured and Modeled**

**Diffusion of Feynman Diagrams**

**From: *****The Power of a Good Idea: quantitative modeling of the spread of ideas from epidemiological models***

**Researchers will "catch" an idea faster if the "contact rate" between scientists is increased.**

## Models: Knowledge Diffusion

**This case shows a moderate sensitivity to the contact rate. Doubling the rate speeds up the science by about four years. This is a relatively large community with total authors estimated at tens of thousands. **

- Carbon Nanotubes

**Models: Knowledge Diffusion**

- From:  Report for the Office of Scientific and Technical Information: Population Modeling of the Emergence and Development of Scientific Fields, Luis Bettencourt et al., October 2006.

## Metadata Is a Must (when it comes to numeric data)

**Metadata Is a Must**** ****(when it comes to numeric data)**

**Numeric databases and other non-text databases must have metadata to enable searchability and retrieval**
**Numeric databases must have a steward and be consistent with the proven model of text data centers **
**Holders of numeric data must be encouraged to harmonize practices**

***Promoting access, preservation and interoperability***

## Ensuring Access to Numeric Data

- In cooperation with several World Data Centers, TIB has assigned DOIs for scientific primary data.
- Over 400,000 data sets in the field of earth science have been registered; goal is to have a worldwide DOI registration agency for primary data.
- The TIB assigns DOIs only for "collections," large data sets, and databases.  It does not attempt to treat each data file individually.

**Ensuring Access to Numeric Data**

**A DOI registry is one approach**

**An example: German National Library for Science and Technology (TIB)  **

## Management of Scientific Text Is a Model for Numeric Data

- Defense Technical Information Center (Department of Defense)
- Office of Research and Development & Office of Environmental Information (Environmental Protection Agency)
- Government Printing Office
- NASA Scientific and Technical Information Program
- National Agricultural Library (Department of Agriculture)
- National Archives and Records Administration
- National Library of Education (Department of Education)
- National Library of Medicine (Department of Heath and Human Services)
- National Science Foundation
- National Technical Information Service (Department of Commerce)
- Office of Scientific and Technical Information (Department of Energy)
- USGS/Biological Resources Discipline (Department of Interior)

**Management of Scientific Text Is a Model for Numeric Data**

- Each agency has an organization to manage STI(Numeric data would need specialist administrator, or steward)

- The senior STI managers from 12 U.S. federal agencies form an interagency working group called CENDI.

## Textual Research Results Are Available Through Interagency Portal

**Textual Research Results Are Available Through Interagency Portal**

**Provides access to 50 million pages of science information in a single query**

***www.science.gov***

***A parallel approach could be developed for numeric data***

## Establishing Ground Rules for Metadata Enables Access to Data

**Establishing Ground Rules for Metadata Enables Access to Data**

- Overcome barriers of organizations

## Search for Nano Should Reach Text and Numeric Data

**Search for Nano Should Reach Text and Numeric Data**

## Data Preservation Dilemma

**Data Preservation Dilemma**

**Many critical science and official collections must be sustained for the foreseeable future**
**Critical collections:  **
**Community reference data collections (e.g. Protein Data Bank)**
**Irreplaceable collections (ARM data related to climate change)**
**Experimental research data**
**     ****(BaBar/other event data)**

***“...******the progress of science and useful arts ... depends on the reliable preservation of knowledge and information for generations to come.”***
- “Preserving Our Digital Heritage”Library of Congress

**NSB raises the right questions**

**No plan for preservation (i.e., no steward) often means that data is lost or damaged**

**In Summary: Three Points on Nano Info Diffusion**

**Modeling – it’s possible**
**Metadata – numeric data, unlike textual data, requires metadata to ensure access**
**Stewardship – numeric data could follow model of textual STI management**