Information on the SIMORC service and its modes of operation

Information on the SIMORC service and its modes of operation.

The SIMORC service consists of an index Metadatabase and a Database of actual Metocean data sets of SIMORC participants. The index Metadata database is public domain and fully open for internet users. Its geographic–alphanumeric user interface enables the user to locate interesting data sets easily. The Metadata index provides sufficient information to allow the user to assess the relevance of the data sets and possible related study reports to its particular interest.

Users from research and academic institutes:

The user interface contains an ordering facility, to which registered users of research and academic institutes, that have signed a User Licence Agreement with the SIMORC service, can log-in and by which they can submit requests for downloading and using selected data sets for research and educational purposes. Each request should contain a motivation why the user wants to use the data sets. All requests are registered in the SIMORC transaction register, that is monitored by the SIMORC operator and open for browsing by SIMORC data owners.

The Database stores and contains Metocean data sets that have undergone quality control and conversion to unified formats, resulting in consistent and high quality, harmonised data sets. Sufficient documentation is compiled and stored alongside the data sets of SIMORC participants to accompany each data series so as to ensure that the data are adequately qualified and may therefore be used with confidence by a secondary user. Such documentation might cover instrument and mooring details, data sampling/processing and a report on data quality.

Data sets in the SIMORC database are and remain the property of SIMORC data owners, who qualify data sets in the SIMORC database as "restricted" or "non-restricted" data sets.

1. In case of "non-restricted" data sets, indicated with status LI, the registered user gets access to the data sets for downloading without further communication with the SIMORC participant, that is listed as owner of the data sets, after submitting its request, including motivation. Therefore the registered user has access to a personalised section of the SIMORC transaction register, which gives an overview of its submitted order requests, recent and historic, their status of processing, and a uniq URL per data set for downloading. Each URL is de-activated after successful downloading. All downloads are again registered in the SIMORC transaction register, that is monitored by the SIMORC operator and SIMORC data owners. The transactions will be evaluated on a regular basis to verify that an inapproriate number of downloads or excessive volumes of data downloads are not being made by specific users. Such cases will be reported and discussed with the central contactperson of the Research or Academic institute, holding the User Licence, to seek clarification.
2. In case of "restricted" data sets, indicated with status RS, the request of the registered user is transferred to the SIMORC participant, that is listed as owner or contact on behalf of multiple owners, for consideration. The SIMORC participant has the right to withhold data sets or to ask for additional information for considering the user request for data sets. The SIMORC participant will include its decision (approval / non-approval) in the SIMORC transaction register. Therefore the registered user should regularly check his/her personalised section of the SIMORC transaction register, which gives an overview of its submitted order requests, recent and historic, their status of processing, their approval / non-approval, and a uniq URL per approved data set for downloading. Each URL is de-activated after successful downloading. All downloads are again registered in the SIMORC transaction register, that is monitored by the SIMORC operator and SIMORC data owners.

As part of the User Licence users are requested to provide feedback on the use of the data sets provided by the SIMORC service. Where possible users are requested to provide results or publications as appropriate. In case of use of data sets for a thesis, a digital copy of the resulting thesis is requested for inclusion in the SIMORC service.

The use of the data sets by scientific and academic users is regulated by the User Licence Agreement, that is signed between the SIMORC service and the research or academic institute.

Download the model user license agreement

Non-scientific & non-academic users:

These users can also search in the SIMORC metadatabase and identify interesting data sets. For submitting requests for access to selected data sets non-scientific and non-academic users also have to register to the SIMORC service, and will receive a user id - password. This is done on a personal basis. The personal id – password enables ordering of data sets. However all requests for data access by non-scientific and non-academic users are always forwarded to the data set owners for consideration and possible negotiation. The owner can agree, but also deny access. The SIMORC participant has the right to withhold data sets or to ask for additional information for considering the user request for data sets. The SIMORC participant will include its decision (approval / non-approval) in the SIMORC transaction register. Therefore the registered user should regularly check his/her personalised section of the SIMORC transaction register, which gives an overview of its submitted order requests, recent and historic, their status of processing, their approval / non-approval, and a uniq URL per approved data set for downloading. Each URL is de-activated after successful downloading. All downloads are again registered in the SIMORC transaction register, that is monitored by the SIMORC operator and SIMORC data owners.