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Geological Society, London, Special Publications; 1995; v. 97; p. 81-90;
DOI: 10.1144/GSL.SP.1995.097.01.10
© 1995 Geological Society of London

Data Management

The geological data manager: an expanding role to fill a rapidly growing need

D. J. Lowe

Data and Digital Systems Group, British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Nottingham NG12 5GG, UK

The management of geological data—raw, inferred and derived—has been neglected for many years. Where such management was attempted, the staff responsible were commonly non-specialists, and most were under-supported and under-valued. Expanding use of digital systems in the geological sciences and growing acceptance of a need for quality management of data in an increasingly business-orientated and competitive world have necessitated reappraisal of data management needs and the role of the geological data manager. The importance of supporting work to develop data verification and validation procedures and the means to assess and ensure data quality is gaining recognition. Some 20 years after the first major incursion of digital technology into the field of geology, the value of the data already gathered, and thus the importance of geological data management, is only now beginning to be appreciated and accepted. In the near future the geological data manager’s role is expected to expand rapidly to address the needs of geological activity.