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    <p>Jonathan,</p>
    <p>That sounds similar to our approach. <br>
    </p>
    <p>Generally speaking there is a "best source" for data - the place
      where updated data is reliably available - and in the case of USGS
      that is their web site, so we just point people there.   For LTER
      data, of course, we are the "best source" so we document that data
      and share it via PASTA, DataONE etc. <br>
    </p>
    <p>There are a few cases where we do maintain "local" copies of
      external data, either because the availability at the source is
      unreliable (not the case for USGS), the data volume is best dealt
      with on a local network (e.g., large LiDAR datasets), the data is
      really hard to locate and extract, or where there is a reason that
      you want to maintain a particular static version of the data
      (e.g., for a series of analyses conducted over a period of time
      where you don't want the underlying data to change).  However, we
      DON'T include them in the data catalog. <br>
    </p>
    <p>Don't forget that for your derived products you can include
      references to the USGS source in a "methodStep" in EML. For
      referring to source data already documented in EML and stored in
      PASTA via the "provenance" web service (e.g.,
      <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://pasta.lternet.edu/package/provenance/eml/knb-lter-bes/332/580">https://pasta.lternet.edu/package/provenance/eml/knb-lter-bes/332/580</a>)
      which will produce a methodStep "stub" that can easily be included
      in your metadata.  For USGS you'll need to generate your own
      methodStep - but you can use the example produced by the
      provenance web service to do that....</p>
    <p>Hope that helps!</p>
    <p>  -John Porter<br>
    </p>
    <br>
    <div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 9/20/2017 11:11 AM, Jonathan Walsh
      wrote:<br>
    </div>
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cite="mid:CAOy9-HgN+a-NiD1HG5ZQAOf7r31yOyZ0+K=GBLnFbF28OoQjXg@mail.gmail.com">
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      <div dir="ltr">Hi IMs!
        <div><br>
        </div>
        <div>I have a question on how to best represent data that your
          study uses, but is provided by others.  If you use such data,
          we could use your insights on how you make that portion of
          your data available to the community and the LTER.</div>
        <div><br>
        </div>
        <div>Baltimore Ecosystem Study gets its stream flow data from
          the USGS.  We in turn use this flow data to calculate our
          daily loads and other results that we track.  The USGS data
          are kept on their website and we incorporate them into our
          work.</div>
        <div><br>
        </div>
        <div>For the purposes of making our data available to the larger
          community, (LTER, PASTA, DataONE, etc.)  we have historically
          just pointed to the USGS data on the USGS site.  (example:  <a
            href="https://waterdata.usgs.gov/usa/nwis/uv?01589197"
            moz-do-not-send="true">https://waterdata.usgs.gov/usa/nwis/uv?01589197</a> )
          as opposed to collecting our own copy and providing it
          ourselves.</div>
        <div><br>
        </div>
        <div>The above precludes us from providing a direct link to the
          data such as that that would be PASTA "type 1".</div>
        <div><br>
        </div>
        <div>If you have any suggestions as to how, if differently, we
          should represent these data, which are integral to our work,
          but not provided by us, I would very much appreciate hearing
          them.</div>
        <div><br>
        </div>
        <div>Thank you!</div>
        <div><br>
        </div>
        <div>Jonathan</div>
        <div><br>
        </div>
        <div>- </div>
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                                <div dir="ltr">Jonathan Walsh</div>
                                <div dir="ltr"><a
                                    href="http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0658-0814"
style="color:rgb(17,85,204);font-size:12.8px" target="_blank"
                                    moz-do-not-send="true"><span><span
style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;background:rgb(255,238,148)"><span>orcid</span></span></span><span
style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif">.org/0000-0002-0658-0814</span></a><br>
                                  Information Manager, Baltimore
                                  Ecosystem Study<br>
                                  Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies<br>
                                  Box AB; Route 44A<br>
                                  Millbrook, NY 12545-0129<br>
                                  P: <a
                                    href="tel:845%2F677%2F7600%20Extension%20103"
                                    value="+18456777600" target="_blank"
                                    moz-do-not-send="true">845/677/7600
                                    Extension 103</a><br>
                                  F: <a href="tel:845%2F677%2F5976"
                                    value="+18456775976" target="_blank"
                                    moz-do-not-send="true">845/677/5976</a><br>
                                  E: <a
                                    href="mailto:WalshJ@caryinstitute.org"
                                    target="_blank"
                                    moz-do-not-send="true">WalshJ@caryinstitute.org</a></div>
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      <pre wrap="">_______________________________________________
Long Term Ecological Research Network
im mailing list
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:im@lternet.edu">im@lternet.edu</a>

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    <br>
    <pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">-- 
John H. Porter
Dept. of Environmental Sciences
University of Virginia
291 McCormick Road
PO Box 400123
Charlottesville, VA 22904-4123
ORCID: <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3118-5784">http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3118-5784</a></pre>
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