Data from: Advanced technologies and data management practices in environmental science: lessons from academia

Environmental scientists stand uniquely poised to capitalize on recent
advancements in technology, computation, and data management, however, it
is unknown the degree to which this is occurring. We analyzed survey
responses of 445 graduate students in California to evaluate understanding
and use of such advances in the environmental sciences. Of students who
had completed their degree, 64.3% had completed the data life cycle, 30.5%
had archived research data so that it is available online, and 61.4% had
no plans to create metadata for research data sets. Roughly one-third of
students used an environmental sensor and collaborated with someone
outside their expertise. Results varied by students’ research status and
by university type. Doing excellent science in this data-intensive age may
necessitate greater emphasis by university programs on data management
best practices borrowed from information technology, and skills
supplemented by unique training opportunities, courses, counsel from
technological specialists, and unconventional collaborations.