Managing the data deluge: the challenge of emerging technologies

At the 2010 IUFRO congress, Roger Mills and colleagues will organize a session entitled 'Managing the data deluge: the challenge of emerging technologies.'

Emerging technologies are greatly simplifying the collection, analysis and publication of data for the researcher and end-user, often reducing or removing the need for mediation by IT professionals. Partly as a result the volume of data being collected worldwide is greatly expanding. Locating, selecting, archiving and indexing this mountain of data for re-use presents major new challenges which are being researched by many organisations..

This session will offer a brief synthesis of this research and guidelines derived from it, and provide participants with a toolkit for devising a successful data management plan for their own data to ensure it remains findable, accessible and usable into the future. Practical demonstrations and the opportunity to contribute to a user needs assessment of researchers’ requirements will accompany the session. A panel of speakers will provide the synthesis of research in a mix of short presentations and discussion, supplemented by voluntary papers on specific examples, and by posters giving more details of specific topics.

If feasible, the session will be supplemented by an ‘information fair’ running throughout the meeting where specific technologies can be demonstrated and users given opportunity for hands-on practice.

KM in forestry research

Beyond classical approaches of knowledge transfer, new ways of communication between scientists and practitioners are emerging. Community building, new technologies, web-based knowledge exchange, peer-to-peer communication, new possibilities of integrating experts into knowledge management (KM), and a new perception of the notion of 'knowledge' and 'expertise' open up the evolving field of knowledge management in forestry.

In October 2006, experts in knowledge management met at the international forestXchange conference in Freiburg, Germany, to discuss these issues.

As a main result of the conference, an impressive variety of existing KM initiatives and approaches became visible. However, it also became obvious that in many organizations and institutions in forestry a true promotion of KM initiatives from the management was sometimes missing, especially when it comes to resource allocation. KM in forestry is in some respects still a matter of single initiatives by individual persons. There is a need for an intensified exchange of experience and knowledge within a Knowledge Management community of practice, also on the national level where networks of KM experts often do not exist.

See the many stimulating presentations on the www.forestxchange.org/ web site

See activities of IUFRO Information Services and Knowledge Organization Division

See activities of the IUFRO Communicating Forest Science Task Force

Tags: agricultural information forestry knowledge sharing

Communication strategies in forestry extension

Although published in 2005, the IUFRO/FAO report on Communication Strategies for Multiple Partner Involvement in Forestry Extension explores some topical issues, particularly the shifts in orientation from "transfer of technology towards systems thinking and the facilitation of social and mutual learning among stakeholders."

"Communication among participants in extension has become more important than ever."

The papers in this report - from developed and developing regions - were presented at an IUFRO Extension Working Party Symposium held in late 2004, and present a wide range of cases on:

• learning processes and collective action in forestry extension;
• approaches, tools and methods of extension communication in forestry and agroforestry;
• information and organizational needs of small-scale forest landowners;
• balancing the public good and private interests in small-scale forestry.

Tags: agricultural information forestry communication

Communicating forest science

Forest scientists are a valuable source of information for stakeholders and the media. However, communication between scientists and the other two is often insufficient. Although scientists may learn to communicate better, there is also an increasing demand for 'knowledge brokers.'

Forest communication experts from 14 countries met in Freiburg, Germany, 2006 to discuss the most suitable instruments for communicating forest science and give recommendations for specific communication activities of IUFRO. Success means that communication must become a daily task for forest science institutions.

Read the meeting report

See activities of the IUFRO Communicating Forest Science Task Force

Tags: agricultural information forestry communication