Formalizing Trust in Historical Weather Data
Article
Article Title | Formalizing Trust in Historical Weather Data |
---|---|
ERA Journal ID | 122991 |
Article Category | Article |
Authors | Sieber, Renee (Author), Slonosky, Victoria (Author), Ashcroft, Linden (Author) and Pudmenzky, Christa (Author) |
Journal Title | Weather, Climate and Society |
Journal Citation | 14 (3), pp. 993-1007 |
Number of Pages | 15 |
Year | 2022 |
Place of Publication | United States |
ISSN | 1948-8327 |
1948-8335 | |
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.1175/WCAS-D-21-0077.1 |
Web Address (URL) | https://journals.ametsoc.org/view/journals/wcas/14/3/WCAS-D-21-0077.1.xml |
Abstract | Historical instrumental weather observations are vital to understanding past, present, and future climate variability and change. However, the quantity of historical weather observations to be rescued globally far exceeds the resources available to do the rescuing. Which observations should be prioritized? Here we formalize guidelines help make decisions on rescuing historical data. Rather than wait until resource-intensive digitization is done to assess the data’s value, insights can be gleaned from the context in which the observations were made and the history of the ob-servers. Further insights can be gained from the transcription platforms used and the transcribers involved in the data rescue process, without which even the best historical observations can be mishandled. We use the concept of trust to help integrate and formalize the guidelines across the life cycle of data rescue, from the original observation source to the transcribed data element. Five cases of citizen science-based historical data rescue, two from Canada and three from Australia, guide us in constructing a trust checklist. The checklist assembles information from the original observers and their observations to the current transcribers and transcription approaches they use. Nineteen elements are generated to help future data rescue projects answer the question of whether resources should be devoted to rescuing historical meteorological material under consideration. |
Keywords | Atmosphere; Social Science; Australia; North America; Climate records; Decision-making; Software; Data science |
ANZSRC Field of Research 2020 | 470209. Environment and culture |
479999. Other language, communication and culture not elsewhere classified | |
430399. Historical studies not elsewhere classified | |
370108. Meteorology | |
370199. Atmospheric sciences not elsewhere classified | |
Public Notes | Files associated with this item cannot be displayed due to copyright restrictions. |
Byline Affiliations | McGill University, Canada |
University of Melbourne | |
University of Southern Queensland | |
Institution of Origin | University of Southern Queensland |
https://research.usq.edu.au/item/q7vvx/formalizing-trust-in-historical-weather-data
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