Looking out for the little guy: Small data curation by Katherine Goold Akers. (Akers, K. G. (2013), Looking out for the little guy: Small data curation. Bul. Am. Soc. Info. Sci. Tech., 39: 58–59. doi: 10.1002/bult.2013.1720390317)
Abstract:
While big data and its management are in the spotlight, a vast number of important research projects generate relatively small amounts of data that are nonetheless valuable yet rarely preserved. Such studies are often focused precursors to follow-up work and generate less noisy data than grand scale projects. Yet smaller quantity does not equate to simpler management. Data from smaller studies may be captured in a variety of file formats with no standard approach to documentation, metadata or preparation for archiving or reuse, making its curation even more challenging than for big data. As the information managers most likely to encounter small datasets, academic librarians should cooperate to develop workable strategies to document, organize, preserve and disseminate local small datasets so that valuable scholarly information can be discovered and shared.
A reminder that for every “big data” project in need of curation, there are many more smaller, less well known projects that need the same services.
Since topic maps don’t require global or even regional agreement on ontology or methodological issues, it should be easier for academic librarians to create topic maps to curate small datasets.
When it is necessary or desired to merge small datasets that were curated with different topic map assumptions, new topics can be created that merge the data that existed in separate topic maps.
But only when necessary and at the point of merging.
To say it another way, topic maps need not anticipate or fear the future. Tomorrow will take care of itself.
Unlike “now I am awake” approaches, that must fear the next moment of consciousness will bring change.