Observations Workshop 2007 Session 1

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Session 1: Observational data "in the wild"

Breakout-Group Products

• Develop a consensus definition of "observation"

Background

It is likely that workshop participants will have different perspectives on what constitutes observational data. This session will consider the various definitions in use for the terms "observation" and "observational data" to ascertain the breadth of the concepts that need to be captured/represented in a formal model. The objective is to clarify the various issues and underlying assumptions surrounding these terms, while forming a working "consensus" definition for "observational data" that will be used throughout the workshop.

Discussion Topics

What is meant by "observation" and "observational data"? What are the different types of observational data that should be considered in a standard data model?

Possible issues:

• What kinds of data are collected and represented?
• What are the ways that data is collected (e.g., sensors, field, derived)?
• What are the formats (e.g., spreadsheets, text files, binary formats, etc.) used to store and exchange data?
• Are observations stand-alone entities (with all necessary context)?
• Are observations dependent on other observations

Session notes and results