RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Sustaining the Earth's Watersheds-Agricultural Research Data System: Overview of development and challenges
JF Journal of Soil and Water Conservation
FD Soil and Water Conservation Society
SP 569
OP 576
DO 10.2489/jswc.63.6.569
VO 63
IS 6
A1 J.L. Steiner
A1 E.J. Sadler
A1 J.-S. Chen
A1 G. Wilson
A1 D. James
A1 B. Vandenberg
A1 J. Ross
A1 T. Oster
A1 K. Cole
YR 2008
UL http://www.jswconline.org/content/63/6/569.abstract
AB The USDA Agricultural Research Service has supported watershed research since the 1930s. Data from USDA Agricultural Research Service watersheds have been disseminated independently at each location, hindering multi-site analyses. A virtual team spanning diverse organizational units developed a web-based system, Sustaining the Earth's Watersheds-Agricultural Research Data System (STEWARDS) that allows users to search, visualize, and download soil, water, climate, management, and economic data from Conservation Effects Assessment Project benchmark watersheds. The objective of this paper is to provide an overview of STEWARDS and discuss challenges that were met to deliver STEWARDS on time, according to requirements, and within available resources. The information technology specialists had to understand that vague and changing requirements are reasonable for a system to support loosely coupled research across diverse watersheds. Researchers and data managers had to learn to communicate clearly about their data. Open communication, respect for perspectives and constraints of others, and a shared commitment to the goal provided the basis for trust. Anticipated benefits of STEWARDS include data preservation, increased data use, and facilitation of hydrological research.