7. ASPECTS OF OCEANOGRAPHIC INSTRUMENTATION 

 DEVELOPMENT AS RELATED TO IN-PUT INTO THE 

 NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHIC DATA CENTER 



Dr. Woodrow C. Jacobs 



National Oceanographic Data Center 

 Washington, D. C. 



At the time I was invited to participate in this Symposium I 

 had just been appointed Director of the National Oceanographic 

 Data Center. In fact, I had been Director for exactly two days. 

 Even in this age of extreme acceleration of things scientific, I 

 doubt that this constitutes sufficient experience for me to pose as 

 an authority on oceanographic data centers. I have had, however, 

 a number of years of experience in matters pertaining to the 

 acquisition, storage, retrieval, and processing of geophysical 

 data -- particularly meteorological data. If it is true that one 

 learns primarily from the mistakes one makes, I am enninently 

 qualified to pose as a world authority on matters of this sort. 

 I think that I have made them all, and should have no further ones 

 to propose to oceanography -- either for action or for research 

 and development. 



Though my statements so far can hardly be said to constitute 

 the "positive approach, " caution is not without merit. The 

 charter for the National Oceanographic Data Center is indeed 

 positive. The NODC is a "National Oceanographic Data Center, 

 organized for the purpose of acquiring, compiling, processing, 

 and preserving oceanographic data for ready retrieval. " If we 

 took these objectives literally and gathered data indiscriminately, 

 particularly those that are most available and that produce the 

 most impressive production figures, and from these produce even 

 more impressive stacks of punched cards, computer tapes, data 

 summaries, etc. , then we could sit back and wait for some 

 oceanographer to be smart enough to guess what we had on hand 

 and allow him to ask for it. It would be mainly coincidence if the 

 materials available would specifically meet his requirements- 

 Such a story is not farfetched. Many data centers, information 

 centers, and libraries, are operated, in effect, on just such 

 principles. 



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