The GEOSS User Requirement Registry: A Versatile Tool for the Dialog Between Users and Providers

To achieve its goal to be user-driven, building the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) must be guided by a set of explicitly known user needs. At the core of GEOSS is the GEOSS Common Infrastructure (GCI), which includes registries that enable users of Earth observations to search, discover, access, and use the data and services available through GEOSS. Three of these registries focus primarily on the contributors to GEOSS. The fourth registry, the User Requirements Registry (URR) is a place for the collection, sharing, and analysis of user needs and Earth observation requirements, and it provides means for an efficient dialog between users and providers. The URR is a comprehensive database describing User Types, Applications, Requirements, Research Needs, and Technology Needs, and includes a Lexicon and literature References. The novel concept of the URR is in the information captured in the Links form, where links between any pairs of entries in the other forms can be published, including descriptions of the societal benefits of the link and the implementation status. As the URR evolves, the powerful nature of this concept is slowly becoming more obvious as it allows to answer many questions, such as 'who is using my data?'; 'On what applications do I directly or indirectly depend?' or 'What requirements need to be met to make these application work?' A fully populated GCI will allow the identification of gaps between user needs and system performance as a basis for prioritizing of user needs.