Locating and Accessing Data and Information on the Internet: Methods and Organizational Impacts

The Internet provides a global infrastructure for data and information publishing that has the potential to revolutionize how data and information are accessed and used. While a variety of methods exist for taking advantage of the capabilities of the Internet for this purpose, two problems with data and information access have been exacerbated by an explosion of tools and resource servers. First, different tools and approaches each have individual advantages, leading to the use of different methods at different locations. Second, resources are distributed across many locations and may often be difficult to locate. CIESIN’s information system approach is designed to solve both of these problems by providing a method for locating and integrating heterogeneous, distributed data and information resource servers. The implement of technologies such as those utilized by CIESIN could potentially transform the organization of how data and information are provided and provide users and providers alike with new services and capabilities.