The planetary data system - A case study in the development and management of meta-data for a scientific digital library

Abstract

The Planetary Data System (PDS) is an active science data archive managed by scientists for NASA’s planetary science community. With the advent of the World Wide Web, the majority of the archive has been placed on-line as a science digital library for access by scientists, the educational community, and the general public. The meta-data in this archive, primarily collected to ensure that future scientists would be able to understand the context within which the science data was collected and archived, has enabled the development of sophisticated on-line interfaces. The success of this effort is primarily due to the development of a standards architecture based on a formal model of the planetary science domain. A peer review process for validating the meta-data and the science data has been critical in maintaining a consistent archive. In support of new digital library research initiatives, the PDS functions as a case study in the development and management of meta-data for science digital libraries.