Routine data from the ARM sites and ARM-sponsored field campaigns are stored in the Archive at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. During the past year, a number of improvements were made to link the Archive with the ARM web pages, add a shopping cart feature and expand on search parameters. In October 2007, ARM sponsored an all-day user group meeting to assess the current status of the Archive and entertain suggestions for further improvements. They discussed the usability of current functions at the Archive, plans for revisions and enhancements, and other new ideas for improving the user experience. Based on discussions from the meeting, the following efforts (in no particular priority) are planned:
- customized data extraction functions
- statistical views functions
- solicitation methods for user feedback
- revised Archive log-in strategies
- interface integration methodologies
- improved field campaign data discovery.
Meeting participants were spread across various types of scientific research (i.e., those involved in observations, modeling, and process studies, and others) from both universities and government laboratories, and ranged from those who used the Archive frequently to those who had seldom or never accessed the Archive. They were asked to complete several exercises before the meeting to help identify potential problems and shortcomings with the existing structure and to aid in recommending improvements. A report containing more details about each of the recommendations is in preparation and is available here.