WELCOME TO THIS OECD SURVEY ON THE USES OF PUBLIC MARINE DATA IN FLANDERS
Dit is de Engelstalige versie van de vragenlijst. De vragenlijst is ook beschikbaar in het Nederlands. Wil je liever in het Nederlands reageren, volg dan de link hier.
Flanders has a number of marine data centres which host both national (bathymetric database, Lifewatch, monitoring network Flemish Banks etc.) but also international marine datasets and systems (WoRMS, IOC-IODE, EMODnet). The OECD is partnering with marine data centres based in Flanders and the relevant departments of the Government of Flanders to produce new insights into the use of marine data made publicly available through specialised data repositories. Your contribution will enhance understanding of the reach of existing services from Flemish institutions and help inform future developments and policies in line with user requirements and international initiatives such as the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development 2021-2030.
Public authorities, scientific organisations and other bodies based in Flanders produce a wealth of diverse marine data that are useful for many purposes. Indeed, marine data play a crucial role in many fields of research and for a range of operational services such as fisheries management, coastal protection, marine spatial planning, conservation, weather forecasting, offshore energy operations, navigation and port management, and facilitates new developments within the ocean economy. As a coastal region in Belgium, marine data collection in Flanders is generally related to regional competences and broader marine research interests. The Government of Flanders has adopted an Open Data policy to promote transparency, efficiency and innovation. In view of the broad societal interest in marine affairs and the opportunities for others to create value from existing public data, authorities aim to enhance the (re-)use of the data collected.
Tracing the uses of the marine data accessed through public repositories will provide useful information for their future development, the marine data community, ocean industry and beyond. Ultimately, the information that we aim to obtain through this questionnaire will contribute to a better understanding of the societal value of public marine data.
The questionnaire you are about to answer was developed for users of public marine data repositories in Flanders. For information on the public marine data centres in Flanders that are the target of this survey, please see here. This survey has four related objectives:
- Update current understanding of the user communities of Flanders' public marine data
- Explore the pathways through which public marine data are transformed into actionable information
- Lay the foundations for future work in measuring the value of public marine data
- Collect comparable information on the users and uses of public marine data in different countries and contexts
The marine data centres based in Flanders are committed to provide easy access to their data and promote reuse for other purposes. The results of this survey will allow these organisations to understand and demonstrate the value of their data holdings, facilitate continued or increased investment and influence how their data will be accessible to you as a user in the future.
Thank you in advance for taking the time to complete this questionnaire which should take you less than 15 minutes. You may save your progress in answering the questionnaire and return to it when you are ready if needed.
