ELOKA: Exchange for Local Observations and Knowledge of the Arctic

This project, Exchange for Local Observations and Knowledge of the Arctic (ELOKA), addresses a gap in data management for Arctic research - the urgent need for effective and appropriate means of recording, storing, and managing data and information being collected in Arctic communities. Local and traditional knowledge (LTK) research and community-based monitoring efforts are on the rise, but to date there has been very little done to coordinate these projects or the information they have collected. ELOKA seeks to fill this gap by supporting community-based research with accessible and useable data management that can allow findings to be shared more broadly, while still keeping control of data in local hands. Specifically, ELOKA proposes to provide data management and user support to facilitate the collection, preservation, exchange, and use of local observations and knowledge of the Arctic. To build ELOKA, researchers, community organizations, data management specialists, web specialists, and Arctic residents will work together. ELOKA will be developed in collaboration with four pilot projects representing different regions and cultures, different priorities and goals, different topics and locations of study, and different types of data. All of the pilot projects share a focus on community-based research in the North and a common interest and need for data management and networking capability. Working closely with these projects and using their expertise, experiences, and data, we will build the core of ELOKA which includes: (a) a secure place for existing and future LTK and community-based projects to store their data in a way that is searchable and accessible to a diverse community of users while assuring protection of sensitive data; (b) a portal to finding data, information, and resources about Arctic LTK and community-based projects; and (c) developing best practices and standards in data stewardship for community-based observations.北极本地观测与知识交流项目（Exchange for Local Observations and Knowledge of the Arctic，简称ELOKA）填补了北极研究领域的数据管理空白——当前亟需构建高效且适配的方法体系，对北极社区采集的数据与信息开展记录、存储与管理工作。本地与传统知识（Local and traditional knowledge，简称LTK）研究及基于社区的监测工作正日益增多，但迄今为止，针对此类项目及其采集的信息开展统筹协调的工作仍极为匮乏。 ELOKA旨在填补这一空白，通过提供易用可及的数据管理工具支持基于社区的研究，使研究成果能够更广泛地共享，同时保障数据仍由本地社区掌控。具体而言，ELOKA计划提供数据管理与用户支持服务，以推动北极本地观测与知识的采集、保存、交流与利用。 为打造ELOKA平台，研究人员、社区组织、数据管理专家、网络专家以及北极本地居民将携手协作。ELOKA将与四个试点项目合作开发，这些项目涵盖不同的区域与文化、不同的优先事项与目标、不同的研究主题与观测地点，以及不同类型的数据。所有试点项目均聚焦于北极地区的基于社区的研究，且均存在对数据管理与联网能力的共同需求。 通过与这些项目紧密合作并汲取其专业知识、实践经验与数据资源，我们将搭建ELOKA的核心框架，具体包括：(a) 为现有及未来的本地与传统知识及基于社区的项目提供安全的数据存储空间，支持以可检索、多用户可访问的方式存储数据，同时保障敏感数据的安全；(b) 打造北极本地与传统知识及基于社区项目相关的数据、信息与资源检索门户；(c) 制定针对基于社区观测活动的数据管护最佳实践与行业标准。