SOKI aims to provide a source of standardised and validated (peer-reviewed) reference material on Southern Ocean ecosystems and on the research tools used in the region.
SOKI also aims to provide a forum for researchers to exchange and link information, ideas and commentaries with respect to this material as well as being used to coordinate research projects.
SOKI is designed to enable straightforward and efficient
- management of information content,
- input and updating of new information,
- extraction of information, and
- involvement of a community of users.
At present, SOKI is divided into six main spaces:
1. Knowledge
This space consolidates the output of research and provides an information base to support future and current projects, theoretical developments and policy initiatives. It does this through summaries of data, published and unpublished information, and interrogation of datasets available online. All material within this space includes citation of published information, web links and directives to further information where applicable.
2. Review
This space builds on the information in the Knowledge space, providing reviews, syntheses, gap analyses, opinions on research directions, policy/management applications of knowledge and tools, or summaries of the policy and administrative environment in which science may play a part. It may also be used as to develop theory, drawing upon information held in the wiki, to support policy implementation, theoretical developments and policy initiatives. These pages may also be used as the foundation justifications for research projects developed in the next space.
3. Research
This space describes current research activities and projects, and details of the research community.
4. Tools
This space outlines available tools for research, including descriptions of methods, indicators, links to datasets, portals or descriptions of data generated by projects.
5. Admin
This space is used to administer SOKI and includes general instructions, guidelines and policies for its use.
6. FAQ
This space provides answers to frequently asked questions. It also has a checklist for new users to help learn some basic skills for navigating and using SOKI.
These spaces are determined around the questions ‘What do we know?’, ‘How is the knowledge used?’ and ‘What research is being done, by whom and how?’, followed by administration of the site and FAQs that provide the user guide.