Katja Berger
Dr Katja Berger received the PhD in Agriculture and Remote Sensing at the University of Applied Life Sciences in Vienna, Austria, in remote sensing, agriculture and forestry. She worked as senior scientist at the Department of Geography (Physical Geography and Remote Sensing), at the Ludwigs-Maximilians Universität (LMU) München in the framework of the preparations of the German hyperspectral EnMAP mission. In this context she focused on efficient retrieval algorithms for multiple crop traits. In 2022 she joined the Image Processing Laboratory (IPL) at the University of Valencia, Spain, supporting research activities in the context of ESA CHIME projects. Since February 2024 she is employed as Post Doc at GFZ Potsdam. The work focus is on engaging with stakeholders and building networks to promote the uptake of EO data and products for forest and land monitoring applications, from national to global levels. She participated actively in COST actions, such as the “Pan-European Network of Green Deal Agriculture and Forestry Earth Observation Science” (PANGEOS) leading science communications with a focus on stakeholder engagement. She is organizing as main chair the EARSeL Imaging Spectroscopy workshop in April 2024 in Valencia and is an active member of the ESA’s Sentinel-2 next generation Mission Advisory Group (MAG).
Sessions
Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable (FAIR) data principles are composed of a set of guidelines focused on efficient discovery and data utilization, which are crucial for sharing scientific data effectively. Hence, adapting to the FAIR principles benefits diverse environmental applications and supports a diversity of policies. This study presents the findings of an extended user survey conducted within the Open Earth Monitor Cyberinfrastructure (OEMC) project, exploring user perspectives on FAIR environmental data. For this purpose, an existing survey targeted at both users and producers of geospatial data was extended to enhance the representability and have the widest feedback for understanding users' and producers' needs, expectations, experiences, and understanding of FAIR principles.
The survey included three blocks. The first block addressed the background and general information of the survey respondents. The second block inquired about the characteristics of the geospatial data that has been primarily used or produced. The third block investigated how user and producer group participants are familiar with the FAIR principles and which of those seemed most relevant to them. In addition, we fostered a target-specific participant selection strategy to cover the main institutions and relevant user groups.
The survey revealed a discrepancy in the preferred observational scales between data producers and users. While producers primarily focus on generating data at global scales, users frequently require data at local and regional levels. This finding underscores the need for improved communication and collaboration between data providers and users to ensure data production aligns with user needs. Furthermore, the survey identified findability and openness as the top priorities for FAIR environmental data, alongside clear licensing, comprehensive metadata availability, and detailed documentation.
These findings emphasize the crucial role of robust data management practices and user-centric approaches in promoting the effective utilization of environmental data.
Further key findings from user responses will be presented, highlighting user perceptions of FAIRness in environmental data, current gaps in FAIR implementation, and identified challenges. Based on these insights, we will discuss the implications of the survey results and propose recommendations for advancing the FAIRness of environmental data in the future.
This research contributes to ongoing efforts within the OEMC project and beyond, informing strategies for improving the discoverability, usability, and overall value of environmental data for various stakeholders.