Know more

Web based collaborative tools are now increasingly mature and can be used to strengthen large research communities, however current knowledge is fragmented, e.g. in multiple data bases and scientific papers and needs to be better synthesized. From its very start, CIRCASA has endeavored to make a highly inter-disciplinary assessment of state-of-the-art research, networks and projects in the field of agricultural soil carbon and to better structure and disseminate this knowledge, while addressing key knowledge gaps through synthesis activities. A pilot Knowledge Information System has been be set up through the Open Collaborative Platform (OCP) which will serve as structured knowledge repository as well as an international exchange forum for researchers and all stakeholders that have expertise to share to usefully complement and collaboratively validate the available knowledge. The platform will be extended into a crowdsourcing tool that will gather the soil carbon research community around a common space for improved knowledge sharing and transfer.

The Knowledge Information System

The current pilot Knowledge Information System is composed of two parts, the two components are hosted by the OCP and users can surf between both tools without leaving the platform.

1.  Data referencing: the tool that allows referencing all kinds of data and metadata from different repositories, as mentioned in the deliverable D4.2.
2. Data cartography: allows visualizing the georeferenced data.

Currently, this KIS widget is linked to several data repositories such as:

• Dataverse: INRAE data repository and CIRCASA project data, results, and deliverables repositories. Each dataset published has its own and unique DOI (Digital Object Identifier).
• ESDAC datasets: The European Soil Data Center products
• SoilsGrid datasets: The ISRIC system for digital soil mapping based on a global compilation of soil profile data and environmental layers.
• FAO datasets

Furthermore, the widget will be linked to the EJP Soils datasets and other relevant repositories. The platform administrator, who can easily add or remove data repositories linked to the Knowledge Information System via the OCP’s Back office, manages this widget.

Content

The value of the pilot Knowledge Information System (KIS) is that it is conceived to create access for platform users to a large range of data. These data can be geo-spatial data, metadata, deliverables, research results, modeling results, data from experiments, observations and surveys, as well as from models and synthesis activities and methodological guidelines developed by CIRCASA.
Geo-referenced meta-data and (when possible) data, is especially displayed thought the data cartography tool of the KIS, this database does not store the real data but it references it via an URL link.

-> visit the Knowledge Information System at https://www.ocp.circasa-project.eu/en/kis

The KIS helps map observations, experiments and research teams and infrastructures, strengthens the links across regions and institutions worldwide and will lead to a strengthened international research community on agricultural soils. The open side of the platform will guarantee the continuation of this community-building and strengthening process across countries, even after the end of the project.

Read the full deliverable