<p>Open source and open data refer to current practices that are familiar to the Earth science data community and to the larger scientific community. Organizations, institutions, government agencies, and individuals within these communities are actively engaged in aspects of one or both of these open practices in the pursuit of their scientific objectives. In addition, open source software often fosters the management and stewardship of scientific data, without the constraints of proprietary software. Besides its use in science, open source software has been widely adopted by commercial industries, which also have contributed to its success. In consideration of the widespread success of open source software practices, examining the commonalities and differences between community practices of open data and open source offers insight into ways in which open data practices can be improved for the benefit of science.</p>
 | Name: Robert Downs Organization(s): CIESIN |