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High quality descriptive metadata is essential to enabling the effective discovery of Earth observation data to a growing number of diverse users. In this paper, we define a framework to assess the quality of NASA’s Earth observation metadata with the overarching goal of improving the discoverability, accessibility and usability of the data it describes. The framework, developed by the Analysis and Review of the Common Metadata Repository (ARC) team, focuses on the metadata quality dimensions of correctness, completeness, and consistency. The methodology used by the ARC team to implement the framework is described, as well as best practices, lessons learned and recommendations for implementing similar metadata quality assessment processes. Initial results from the project indicate that this methodology, in combination with community and stakeholder collaboration, is effective in improving metadata quality.

Women constitute a very small proportion of academic entrepreneurs. This is especially the case in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. Furthermore, women in STEM disciplines have been shown to file proportionately fewer invention disclosures and patents, launch fewer start-up companies and be less successful in attracting investment funding than their male counterparts. In this chapter the focus is on commercialisation at Birkbeck, University of London, drawing on data collected as part of the European Union-funded TRIGGER project. It is found that while commercialisation activity at Birkbeck is conducted by both men and women, principal investigators on externally awarded research grants are significantly more likely to be men. Seniority and networks also have an influence on ability to commercialise. In the organisational context there are issues with support for commercialisation activity. The study offers insights into women’s attitudes and practices in commercialisation, which should be of value to universities and investors.

Planet, a commercial company, has achieved a key milestone by launching a large fleet of small satellites (smallsats) that provide high spatial resolution imagery of the entire Earth’s surface on a daily basis with its PlanetScope sensors. Given the potential utility of these data, this study explores the use for fine particulate matter (PM2.5) air quality applications. However, before these data can be utilized for air quality applications, key features of the data, including geolocation accuracy, calibration quality, and consistency in spectral signatures, need to be addressed. In this study, selected Dove-Classic PlanetScope data is screened for geolocation consistency. The spectral response of the Dove-Classic PlanetScope data is then compared to Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data over different land cover types, and under varying PM2.5 and mid visible aerosol optical depth (AOD) conditions. The data selected for this study was found to fall within Planet’s reported geolocation accuracy of 10 m (between 3–4 pixels). In a comparison of top of atmosphere (TOA) reflectance over a sample of different land cover types, the difference in reflectance between PlanetScope and MODIS ranged from near-zero (0.0014) to 0.117, with a mean difference in reflectance of 0.046 ± 0.031 across all bands. The reflectance values from PlanetScope were higher than MODIS 78% of the time, although no significant relationship was found between surface PM2.5 or AOD and TOA reflectance for the cases that were studied. The results indicate that commercial satellite data have the potential to address Earth-environmental issues.

New adaptive approaches to Earth observation data stewardship need to be adopted in order to allow for higher data volumes, heterogeneous data and constantly evolving technologies. The data ecosystem approach to stewardship offers a viable solution to this need by placing an emphasis on the relationships between data, technologies and people. In this paper, we present the Joint ESA-NASA Multi-Mission Algorithm and Analysis Platform’s (MAAP) creation of a data ecosystem to support global aboveground terrestrial carbon dynamics research. We present the components needed to support the MAAP data ecosystem along with two data stewardship workflows used in the MAAP and the development of extended metadata for MAAP.

A set of newly-added questions in the 2011–2014 Bank of England/NMG Consulting Survey reveals that British households tend to change their consumption by significantly more in reaction to temporary and unanticipated falls in income than to rises of the same size. Household balance sheet characteristics such as high debt-to-income ratios and small liquidity buffers, concerns about credit market access and higher subjective risk of lower future income account for a sizable share of this spending asymmetry. Our findings have important implications for predicting the response of aggregate consumption to expansionary and contractionary macroeconomic policies.

A set of newly added questions in the 2011 to 2014 Bank of England/NMG Consulting Survey reveals that British households are estimated to change their consumption by significantly more in reaction to temporary and unanticipated falls in income than to rises of the same size. Household balance sheet characteristics (including the presence of a savings buffer), concerns about credit market access and higher subjective risk of lower future income account for a sizable share of this spending asymmetry and explain significant variation in the marginal propensity to consume across households. Our findings have important implications for predicting the response of aggregate consumption to expansionary and contractionary macroeconomic policies.