19th International CODATA Conference
Category: Data Archiving - The InterPARES Project

Antarctic Treaty Searchable Database Case Study

Dr. Paul Arthur Berkman
Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, University of California, USA

The first searchable digital library of Antarctic Treaty documents was produced in early 2000 with access to policy documents through the US Department of State and funding from the National Science Foundation. The Antarctic Treaty Searchable Database, which is available online (http://webhost.nvi.net/aspire) as well as on webCDserverSM, is in its 5th Edition with all of the "measures that have been adopted in furtherance of the principals and objectives of the Treaty" from 1961 through 2004. Originally intended as a supplement for a university course on Antarctic science and policy, the Antarctic Treaty Searchable Database has became linked to websites from: international government institutions; national government agencies; non-governmental organizations; corporations; and academic institutions. In addition to being the first searchable digital library of Antarctic Treaty documents ever produced, the Antarctic Treaty Searchable Database has nearly 750 granules and is the most comprehensive source for automatically integrating information from the Antarctic Treaty System. The Antarctic Treaty Searchable Database dynamically generates hierarchical displays that comprehensively describe objective relationships within and between policy documents based on the parent-child structure and contents of each information granule. This interoperable knowledge-discovery application is facilitated by automated granularity. Activity and data flow diagrams will be presented to describe the ongoing implementation of the Antarctic Treaty Searchable Database as a potential strategy for the dynamic exchange and integration of accurate, reliable and authentic digital records through the Antarctic Treaty Secretariat.