From: pletcher@med.umich.edu (Timothy A. Pletcher)
Newsgroups: alt.save.the.earth
Subject: CIESIN Survey
Followup-To: alt.save.the.earth
Date: 12 Jan 1993 13:20:18 GMT
Organization: University of Michigan Medical Center
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: 141.214.56.173



                     Usage & Feasibility Survey for an  
              Earth Observation World Information Center 
                     Conducted By CIESIN and NASA  
              on the behalf of the Italian Space Agency (ASI)  
 
 
 
BACKGROUND: 
Scientific findings indicate that changes to the environment may be 
occurring at an unprecedented rate.   A clearer understanding of the 
combined impact of natural and social forces is urgently needed by 
researchers, policy makers, and the world's people as they seek solutions 
for sustainable development of the Earth's resources.  These activities
must 
begin with the sharing of information such as satellite data, and knowledge

derived from its analysis that transcends political and cultural
boundaries.  
 
CIESIN (the Consortium for International Earth Science Information 
Network) is undertaking a survey on behalf of NASA.  This is part of NASA's

contribution to the Italian Space Agency's (ASI) efforts to coordinate an 
extensive feasibility study to evaluate the concept and need for an Earth 
observation information network.  The study is being conducted on behalf of

G7 countries and relevant international organizations such as the CEC, ESA,

EUMETSAT and the WMO.  This survey is intended to assess the needs of 
researchers and scientists as well as applied science users particularly in

the developing world for access to environmental and global change data and

information (especially satellite data).  
 
In addition, more assessment is needed on current capabilities, needs, and 
requirements for an Earth observation world information center.  The 
proposed service, if determined to be both necessary and feasible, will 
enable various world-wide user communities to obtain the information 
necessary to access and use the various centers and networks established to

archive and exchange data relevant to the study and monitoring of global 
change.  The results of this survey will be provided in a report by CIESIN 
and NASA to the Italian Space Agency in the very near future to support 
ASI's feasibility study.   
 
CIESIN's role in the arena of global change is to build and maintain 
information gateways for accessing, collecting, integrating, disseminating,

and exploring data and information on the human dimensions of global 
environmental change.   CIESIN is part of  NASA's Earth Observing System 
Data Information System (EOSDIS) program, serving as NASA's Socio-Economic 
Data Applications Center  (SEDAC) within the EOSDIS program. 
 	  
QUESTIONNAIRE: 
This survey is designed to provide guidance concerning who potential 
global change information users are as well as information of the direction

of possible  future efforts as they pertain to user classifications, 
categories, and requirements for data and information on the environment
and 
global change.  Your survey response is critical to completing the 
feasibility study phase!  PLEASE RESPOND BY  JANUARY 25, 1993. (If you do 
not wish to respond electronically, feel free to send your phone number so 
that a CIESIN representative may contact you later to fill in this survey. 
The CIESIN survey response phone number is (517) 797-2700 ext. 2634) 
 
Name: 
Title: 
Organization: 
Address: 
 
Zip or Country Code: 
Country: 
Phone number: 
Internet Address (if available) or other email address: 
FAX Number: 
 
Q1. What is the nature of your organization? (For example - college or 
university, government agency, citizen's advocacy group, special interest 
group, consulting firm, commercial/corporate, policy, educational, or any 
other.)  
 
Q2. How would you describe the mission of  your organization? (For example
- 
extension, planning, research, consultation, education, advocacy, 
regulation, etc.) 
 
Q3. What environmental or global change issue is the primary focus of your 
organization?  (For example - land use/planning, industrial metabolism, 
economic planning, roads/highways, etc.) 
 
Q4. How many employees are in your whole organization? 
 
Q5. How would you best describe your job function?  (For example - 
researcher, scientist, manager, planner, unit administrator, project 
supervisor, computer systems operator, analyst, educator, etc.) 
 
Q6. What type of software services or Geographic Information System (GIS)
do 
you currently use?  Specify by name and platform.  (If your answer is 
"none," go to question #16.) 
 
Q7.  How many computers does your organization have? 
		PC or Clone (pre-286): 
		PC or Clone (286): 
		PC or Clone (386): 
		PC or Clone (486): 
		Apple Macintosh: 
		UNIX Workstation: 
		Other: 
 
Q8.  How many computers is your organization going to obtain this year?  
What kind? 
 
Q9. Are you currently wide area networked?  If yes: 
 	Modem type?                                  Speed?  
		ISDN?                                Provider? 
		X.25?                                Provider? 
		Internet Direct Connection?          Provider? 
			56KB? 
			T1? 
		UUCP? 
		Bitnet? 
		Fidonet? 
		Other?)   
	Which of the above services do you most often access and connect to 
 		electronically? 
 
Q10. How would you describe your level of expertise in working with your 
computer and wide area networking systems? 
 
Q11. If you are using a GIS, what type of data input formats are you using?

		Vector file format?       	Type: 
		Raster file format?        Type: 
		Image file format?        	Type: 
		Database file format?      Type: 
		Screen picture format?     Type: 
 
Q12. How many people utilize the computer and/or network support at your 
organization? 
 
Q13.  What other organizations assist your organization with computer or 
network support?  List organizations, names, addresses, and phone numbers
if 
you have this information available. 
 
Q14.  What are the network operating systems that you use? 
 
Q15.   Which of the following do you use? WAIS(     ), World Wide Web(   
), 
Gopher  (   ) 
 
Q16.  If  you are not currently using computers and computer networks, how 
do you obtain data, and information, and relevant research material?  (For 
example - phone calls to acquaintances and knowledgeable sources, faxes to 
sources of information such as government agencies, libraries and/or 
exchange of diskettes or CD-ROM?) 
 
Q17. Name specific places and sources  you currently contact to get the
data 
and information that you need (for example:  names of libraries, government

agencies, institutions, foundations, individuals, etc.): 
 
Q18.  What one thing would most improve the quality of access to global 
change information at your site? 
 
Q19. If  you are not currently using computers and computer networks, do
you 
plan to begin using these technologies in the next 2 years?  If yes, what 
type? 
 
Q20.  Is there any type of data and/or information that would be of use but

that is currently unavailable to you? (For example:  space data, natural 
science data, remote sensing data, any others.)   Be specific and feel free

to elaborate. 
 
 
 
Q21. Please list space (satellite), global change, and environmental 
datasets that you would be interested in accessing.  (For example:  SPOT, 
AVHRR data sets, etc.) 
 
 
Q22.  What types of textual data (if any) do you currently access? (For 
example: text on policy, regulations, scientific reports and articles,
etc.) 
  How do you currently access these texts? 
 
 
 
Q23. What types of textual data would you MOST LIKE to be able to access?  
(For example: text on policy, regulations, scientific reports and articles,

etc.)  Be specific.  
 
 
 
Q24. Prioritize the tools that would most help you locate and acquire data 
and conduct research in your area of interest.  (1 is highest) 
 
_____	An on-line Global Change Resource Directory to aid in locating data  
      and information resources.  
 
_____	Data sharing partnerships with producers and holders of data. 
 
_____	Computer  visualization and geographic analysis tools to assist in 
      integrating, manipulating, and analyzing data. 
  
_____	Wide area networked based and bulletin board access to many different

      documents about global change. 
 
_____	Conferences and workshops on environmental & global change  
      subjects. 
 
_____	Expert consulting services. 
 
_____	Other (specify):	_____________________________ 
 
 
            Return completed form by Internet, Fax, or mail to  
                     Product Management Director, 
           CIESIN, 2250 Pierce Road, University Center, Mi. 48710 
                  (517) 797-2622 (fax number) 
               Internet Address: marilyn.mccord@ciesin.org 

PLEASE RESPOND BY  JANUARY 25, 1993. (If you do not wish to respond
electronically, feel free to send your phone number so that a CIESIN
representative may contact you later to fill in this survey.

The CIESIN survey response phone number is (517) 797-2700 ext. 2634)