Research project AS/DD/37 (Research action AS)
1. Context
METAFRO InfoSys is an on-line catalogue of Belgian information sources on Central Africa, including Angola, Burundi and Rwanda, to be queried through the Internet.
The METAFRO InfoSys project is justified by the mere fact that one of the important pre-requisites for most research and development activity is the ability to identify, locate, retrieve, process, and use potentially relevant information or data. This pre-requisite can be satisfied through information systems querying an appropriate metadata base.
In the context of the METAFRO InfoSys project, metadata is data which characterises source data, describes its relationships, and supports its effective use. Metadata , in the framework of The METAFRO InfoSys project, should therefore make it possible for users to determine :
- the availability of information (what data resources are available? where are they?)
- the usefulness of information (is it authentic? is it relevant or does it meet specific needs?)
- the accessibility of information (how to acquire it? how to transfer it to a local system?)
METAFRO InfoSys consequently focuses on information resource discovery relying upon search and retrieval functions of metadata and integrating the aspects of data use. It is intended to use metadata provided by METAFRO InfoSys to facilitate interoperability and shareability among information resource discovery tools. Information sharing can speed completion of projects, improve the quality of research and decision-making, and reduce costs by minimising duplication of effort.
2. Aims
The Belgian Federal Office for Scientific, Technical and Cultural affairs (OSTC) has assigned to METAFRO InfoSys project the realisation of a catalogue of information sources on sub-Saharan Africa, namely Central Africa including Angola, Burundi and Rwanda. This catalogue is to be consulted within an on-line information system that allows interactive user access via the Internet. The system will also be used for the promotion of relevant data ordering from information sources and use for development or research activities.
The on-line information system achieved by METAFRO InfoSys project is actually aimed at the re-valorisation of, in particular, the Belgian collective heritage of data relevant for the sustainable development and research within the Central African region, including Angola, Burundi and Rwanda. It is a system for the co-ordination of the harmonised characterisation of all information on data related to natural resources, societies and development of the targeted geographic region. As such, it is a tool enabling better on-line access to the right information for more efficient development and research planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.
METAFRO InfoSys is conceived to fulfill the following requirements :
- Improvement of the access to information related to Central Africa, including Angola, Burundi and Rwanda, and relevant to development and research.,
- Promotion and improvement of communication and exchange of information among partners within a special interest network (SIN) ; and
- Promotion and improvement of interdisciplinary scientific research for the sustainable development of the targeted region.
Catalogue search procedures
The catalogue is intended to be queried by themes, key words and by geographic search.
3. Potential users
- Research and training institutions
- Federal administrations (The Foreign Office (AGCD/ABOS...), Scientific institutions, other Ministries, ...)
- NGO's
- Private sector
- Central Africa countries (Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo-Brazzaville, Congo-Kinshasa, Equatorial Guinea, and Gabon) including Angola, Burundi and Rwanda, and regional organisations
- International organisations (FAO, UNEP, UNDP, UNHCR, UNESCO, The World Bank, IUCN, WWF, IGBP, Research stations, ITTO, EU Programmes, ...)
