The U.S. National Committee (USNC) for the Committee on Data for Science and Technology (CODATA) (of the International Council for Science (ICSU)) will convene a workshop on "Strategies for Preservation of and Open Access to Digital Scientific Information Resources in China: Opportunities and Challenges". This workshop is being organized in cooperation with the Chinese National Committee for CODATA (of the Chinese Academy of Sciences) and with the CODATA Task Group on Preservation and Archiving of Scientific and Technical Data in Developing Countries. The workshop will be held in Beijing in June 2004. The proposed workshop is intended to identify the data and information resources issues that require the highest priority attention in order to develop long-term preservation and open access management. The workshop is intended to (a) explore various options for open digital archiving that might be adopted or adapted for use within the Chinese context on a realistic and sustainable basis and (b) provide an interdisciplinary analysis and methodology to improving those activities in China. Four areas have been identified for possible initial consideration: scientific, technological and medical (STM) journals; earth and environmental science data; biomedical science data; and laboratory physical sciences data. The workshop is expected to bring together scientific and digital archiving experts, national science policy and funding officials, and representatives of public and private donor and development organizations who will be able to integrate the results of this project into their future planning. As a result, access to STM data and information resources in China might be improved and future scientific cooperation between Chinese and U.S. researchers might be facilitated by such improved access. The issues identified and discussed during the course of the workshop may also have broader application for other developing countries and, to this end, the results will be considered by the USNC/CODATA and the international CODATA Task Group in considering the organization of similar activities in other developing regions and countries.
