Database Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 12.3
Earth System Grid project's interface for metadata queries.
a visualization or analysis tool that provides an API with search capabilities
that may include issuing metadata queries.
12.6 Provenance in Scientific Applications
In this section, we detail how scientists use provenance. First, we discuss the
technologies that scientists use every day in order to determine provenance.
We then look at more advanced systems designed for particular applications
where provenance plays a critical role; in particular, we focus on geospatial,
oceanographic, and astronomic applications. Finally, we discuss how open
data models will facilitate provenance queries in multidisciplinary, multiscale
scientific applications.
12.6.1 Provenance in Everyday Science
Lab notebooks are used by scientists every day to record their experimental
processes and results. These lab notebooks contain, what we termed previ-
ously,
process documentation
. However, determining provenance from phys-
ical notebooks is a laborious procedure. Additionally, lab notebooks are ill
