Targeted Explanations for Data Sets

Discussions about scientific data are traditionally complex and rely on the reader possessing sufficient specialized knowledge to understand the content without the need to explain terminology and references to advanced literature. One of the roles of the Earth System Atlas, in collaboration with the Encyclopedia of Earth (hosted by the NCSE), is to deliver articles emphasizing not only why and how data sets were collected, but also emphasize context for these data (how they may be applied in areas beyond those originally conceived). Information about ESA data sets stored have been tailored to accommodate three types of users:

1. Students & Educators - descriptions with lots of context and simple-to-use graphics
2. Policy Makers - concise, lucid summaries describing how the data sets may influence the decision making process
3. Scientific Community - detailed metadata and references to technical publications

There are no restrictions on access to any of these categories; they exist solely to enhance understanding depending on the level of scientific understanding the user possesses.