Repository

IOC-OBPS Repository

The IOC-OBPS Repository is a secure, permanent, and searchable platform for ocean practices. It is a global open-access resource serving the needs of a broad range of ocean stakeholders.

How to use the Repository

Policy & Terms

The IOC-OBPS repository is hosted by the International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange (IODE). It accepts written and other multimedia “methodological documentation” which complies with the repository subject and method criteria described below. If licensing conditions permit, the repository can accept submissions that are available in other repositories.

Submissions of “methodological documentation” to the IOC-OBPS Repository are accepted in many publication formats, including reports, journal articles, training videos, software, code and more. They can be described as guides, guidelines, manuals, standard operating procedures (SOP), technical specifications, standards, etc.

Standards are documents or other instructional material issued to promote alignment and/or compliance by officially recognised international or national standards organisations or professional standards organisations. They can be described, linked to, and archived in the OBPS Repository, to support accurate provenance reporting and provide additional backup/redundancy. The IOC-OBPS Repository will archive a copy of a relevant standard whose licensing allows it. Compliant open Standard specifications that describe the most applicable standard(s) for a given scenario are also within scope.

Submissions from commercial organisations may be included in the IOC-OBPS Repository, provided that they comply with the criteria listed below in this document and that the Repository Disclaimer is included in the metadata.

Submissions into the IOC-OBPS Repository may only be made by users who are registered in the OBPS Repository, either as an individual or as a representative of an organisation, network, project or group, or by the Repository Manager who may also assist when submission recommendation and support is requested.

Before inclusion in the IOC-OBPS Repository, each submission will be reviewed by the OBPS Repository Manager, and if necessary in consultation with experts in the respective fields. The IOC-OBPS has the responsibility to accept or reject any submission for suitability against the subject and method criteria described below. If these attributes are not reflected in the submission, then it will be returned to the submitter with feedback. Criteria are outlined below and will be applied on a case-by-case assessment, and a decision will be made.

Is the submission consistent with the OBPS Repository subject and method criteria?

Content Scope

The IOC-OBPS Repository will use two key criteria, one related to subject and the other to characteristics of the method document, to determine whether submissions fall within the Repository scope. Broadly speaking, all relevant content will be concerned with either the practices or the standards relevant to them. The criteria are outlined below and will be applied on a case-by-case assessment.

Subject Criteria

The IOC-OBPS Repository accepts methodological documentation from marine and ocean-related disciplines, data and information, and ocean applications. It generally does not include those related to maritime law enforcement and commercial shipping or navigation documentation.

The IOC-OBPS has a global geographic and habitat scope, extending from the deep waters to the surface of the open ocean, to coastal, estuarine, brackish, and freshwater environments, and includes the air-sea interface and atmospheric processes relevant to air-sea interactions.

The submission must be relevant to at least one of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) Mission, and/or IOC High Level Objectives, and be consistent with United Nations principles and guidelines, for example, the UN Convention of the Law of the Sea and other Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs).

IOC Mission

The purpose of the Commission is to promote international cooperation and to coordinate programmes in research, services and capacity-building, to learn more about the nature and resources of the ocean and coastal areas and to apply that knowledge for the improvement of management, sustainable development, the protection of the marine environment, and the decision-making processes of its Member States. (IOC Statutes, Article 2.1)

IOC High Level Objectives

The IOC is working to achieve its Vision through the following High-Level Objectives:

Practice Criteria

Submissions should be made on the understanding that the practice (methodological) documentation is a contribution to the methodological base of the ocean community.

The focus of the submission should be a method/practice applied in ocean-related disciplines and applications. Practice documents in the repository also include standards, vocabularies, strategies, recommendations, advice, comparison of practices, relevant regulations, and training and educational materials. For all new submissions, decisions on non-acceptance will be documented and shared with the submitters, with explanations.

To be acceptable in the OBPS Repository, the submission must meet the following criteria:

  1. Objective definition — Specifies a clear objective for a practice, or a comparison of practices, description of a practice implementation, or a description of guidelines for practices.
  2. Clear process — Provides a clear process (series of actions, and/or recommendations, and/or strategies).
  3. Limitations identification — Indicates any limitations or constraints in achieving the objective.
  4. Specification of tools or techniques — Describes any required tools, equipment, reagents, supporting documents, or software needed for the practice.
  5. Potential use — Describes why this practice is potentially useful for others.