Building a multidisciplinary database across cultures: lessons from the Mongolian Rangelands and Resilience (MOR2) Project

Abstract

Data are the backbone of science. This paper describes the construction of a complex database for social-ecological analysis in Mongolia. Funded through the National Science Foundation (NSF) Dynamics of Coupled Natural and Human (CNH) Systems program, the Mongolian Rangelands and Resilience (MOR2) project focused on Mongolian pastoral systems, community adaptive capacity, and vulnerability to climate change. We examine the development of a complex, multi-disciplinary research database of data collected over a three-year period, both in the field and from other sources. This data set captures multiple types of data: ecological, hydrological and social science surveys; remotely-sensed data, participatory mapping, local documents, and scholarly literature. The content, structure, and organization of the database, development of data protocols and issues related to data access, sharing and long-term storage are described. We conclude with recommendations for long-term data management and curation from large multidisciplinary research projects.

Keywords

database / interdisciplinary / Mongolia / social-ecological analysis / integrated data

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Electronic Supplementary Material

Supplementary material is available in the online version of this article at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11707-025-1152-3 and is accessible for authorized users.

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Statement on IRB protocol

Acknowledgments

This project would not have been possible without the support from the herder groups in Mongolia that provided their insights, time and hospitality. The authors express their gratitude for all the work done in the field to collect the data that comprises the MOR2 database, many of these individuals are included in the published MOR2 database housed in the CSU D-Space data repository. However, in case anyone is overlooked we want to be sure to thank all of our colleagues and students in Mongolia and the United States. We are also grateful for the feedback from those that provided support in developing the structure and framework of data collection tools and database framework. This project is supported by funds form the NSF Dynamics of Coupled and Human Systems (CNH) Program award BCS-1011801, The World Bank, USAID, American Association of University Women, Open Society Institute, Center for Collaborative Conservation, Colorado State University.

Competing Interests

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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