4.3 Resources

The following resources provide significant information and guidance with respect to designing data management components of monitoring programs.

• Salmonid Field Protocols Handbook: Techniques for assessing status and trends in salmon and trout populations provides an excellent overview on data management design needs as well as recommended steps for ensuring robust data system architecture. 
• The Pacific Northwest Aquatic Monitoring Partnership is actively involved in collaborative efforts supporting improved data management for salmon monitoring activities.  Examples of PNAMP data management guidance that is available now or is in progress include:

-  Regional Guidance on Metadata for Environmental Data (2009) 

-  Survey of data collection methodology (metadata) for salmonid status and trend data     

-  Guidance for protocol/method documentation using PNAMP Protocol Library

-  Guidance for quality assurance/quality control

-  Guidance for developing data sharing agreements

• StreamNet, a cooperative information management and data dissemination project in the Columbia River basin and the Pacific Northwest, has provided a recent paper on considerations and recommendations for data collection and sharing:  

- Considerations for regional data collection, sharing and exchange   ftp://ftp.streamnet.org/pub/streamnet/projman_files/Data_Sharing_Guide_2009-06-01.pdf  

• The Northwest Environmental Data Network (NED) www.nwcouncil.org/ned/resources.htm has worked to Improve the quality, quantity, and availability of regional data and related information on fish, wildlife and their aquatic and terrestrial habitats:
  - Sharing information to improve decisions: examples of benefits and cost avoidance www.nwcouncil.org/ned/summit/Oct2-Summit%20Business%20Case.pdf
  - Check list for organizing field collection and management of data www.nwcouncil.org/ned/Checklist.pdf

• The Knowledge Network for Biocomplexity (KNB) sponsors information about Ecological Metadata Language (EML), an open source, community oriented project dedicated to providing a high-quality metadata specification for describing data relevant to the ecological discipline.
• The Alaska Department of Fish and Game's Salmon Data Access Working Group has developed a backgrounder and decision tree about metadata.

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