Submitting your data

How to submit

Our data warehouse is an automated system that collects basic information in order to ensure that you are properly credited, and that the dataset is properly searchable.  Specifically, we will ask you for a data contact person and email, any references to be listed for the data, and any usage restrictions placed on the data (see the data policy section below).  

The data warehouse is currently in beta testing.  Contact us if you need access.

Ready to submit? 
Contact us and we will work with you to make it easy to upload or send in your data.

What we are looking for

SEMIP utilizes a variety of data to perform its model-model and model-observation comparisons. 

Specifically we are looking for:

Input Data

• Data that can be used as input to drive models being compared by SEMIP.   For example, meteorological model data that can serve as input to smoke dispersion models.
  

Validation Data

• Data that can be used to evaluate models being compared by SEMIP against observations.  For example, observed fire consumption data.
  

Additional Model Data

• Model output data from models not currently being analyzed by SEMIP that perform similar functions.  This model output data should be based on downloadable input data for a SEMIP test case and must conform to SEMIP guidelines. 
  

Anyone can submit model or observational data using the following guidelines.  All use of submitted data is governed by the SEMIP Fair Use Data Policy that ensures proper accreditation and consultation.

Is your data right for submission?

Types of data

SEMIP utilizes many types of data:

• Model output
  
• Point observations (e.g. in-situ particulate smoke monitors)
  
• Profile and cross-section observations (e.g. LIDAR or SODAR profiles)
  
• Satellite observations (e.g. MODIS fire detects, MODIS aerosol-optical-depth products, LANDSAT vegetation maps)
  
• Analyses of model-model or model-observation variations.

Categories of data

SEMIP currently covers the following categories of data (model or observational):

• Meteorology (currently used only as input for smoke dispersion)
• Fire Information
  
• Fire Consumption (Total)
  
• Time Rate of Fire Consumption
• Fire Emissions
• Smoke Plume Vertical Profiles
  
• Smoke Concentrations (surface and vertical profiles)
  

Format requirements

We will accept data in any format.  However, to make the data most useful, we recommend converting your data into either comma separated value ASCII files (CSV), NetCDF binary format, or shapefiles.  Many programs can export in these data formats. 

What happens to data that are submitted

Data submitted to SEMIP will be used for analysis purposes and may be displayed.  In some cases, with express permission, the data may be disseminated as well.  All use of data submitted to SEMIP is done under the SEMIP Fair Use Data Policy.

SEMIP Fair Use Data Policy

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The SEMIP Fair Use Data Policy is intended to ensure and enable:

• Proper accreditation
  Any use of data submitted to SEMIP will properly reference the source of the data.
  

• Storage of data and use of data in analyses
  Data that is submitted will be stored internally to SEMIP and used for comparison analyses based on the SEMIP protocols. Before any analyses results using your data are displayed publically, you will be given an opportunity to comment and review the analysis for errors. 

• Display of analyses data
  The results, after review, will be displayed on the SEMIP website.  You will be given the opportunity to add explanatory comments displayed or linked directly from the webpages showing the analysis.  Some analyses may also be shown at scientific conferences or other meetings.

• Dissemination of analyses data
  SEMIP results will be published as peer-reviewed literature or reports as appropriate.  For any publication displaying results from your data, you will be given the opportunity to be a co-author and to review and comment on the report prior to publication.  Papers and reports will be available through standard channels and may be displayed on the web.

• Display of raw data
  Under some circumstances display of raw data will help researchers and users understand the data better and so maps or graphs of raw data will be useful.  Your data will only be displayed in graphical or aggregate statistical form;  your raw data will not be published without your permission (see Dissemination below).

• Dissemination of raw data
  Your raw data will only be disseminated with your permission. Under some circumstances, particularly when your data will serve as input into a standard SEMIP test case, you will be asked whether your data can be distributed to those researchers participating in SEMIP.  Each researcher participating in SEMIP will have a signed form on file agreeing to the above fair use data guidelines, and will be expected to follow the SEMIP Fair Use Data Policy.