Last updated: March 3, 1998
The EMF Measurements Database is a project being implemented as part of the EMF Research and Public Information Dissemination (EMF RAPID) Program by T. Dan Bracken, Inc. under Martin Marietta Energy Systems Contract No. 62X-ST727V. The Database is a collection of data sets relating to measurement of electric or magnetic fields, available for general use. Such data might be collected as part of an exposure assessment study or an epidemiological study. Many such studies have been performed in the past, and additional studies are ongoing or planned. The long term goal of the Database is to integrate and make available as much of this data as possible. Contributed data sets will be formatted and made available both online and through more traditional means (by mail on disk, tape or perhaps CD-ROM).
The motivation behind the EMF Measurements Database project is to facilitate the preservation and sharing of low frequency EMF measurement data. The Database wishes to preserve study data, descriptions and results. Together, the data and descriptions will allow researchers to apply new analytical methods to existing data. The cost of preserving data is usually much smaller than the cost of acquiring it, and so it makes sense to invest in preservation. Furthermore, the Database will make its data readily accessible, available 24 hours a day on the Internet.
Each data set in the EMF Measurements Database will consist of one or more data products, containing the measurements and other data collected during the study. Also, each data set will be fully documented. Metadata provides a formal description of the data set, including what the data are, how the data were collected, and a detailed description of each associated data product. In addition to the metadata, data set reports may be submitted by the original researchers or others, describing analyses performed on the data and their results. See the Components section for details.
Three data sets are now available (see the data set catalog).
Data from several other studies are already in the pipeline. We have received a data set characterizing 70 Seattle area office workers from the University of Washington's Department of Environmental Health, and a data set from a parallel RAPID study's characterization of magnetic fields based on environment. Additional data is anticipated from the RAPID Program engineering studies and is being sought from other projects, both public and private, as well.
If you have data that you are interested in contributing to the EMF Measurements Database, please contact us. We will be happy to send you information about the Database and/or a data submission kit. We are also interested in hearing about other data sets that might make good additions to the Database.
As the Database grows, we will provide search mechanisms that will help the user to identify data sets of interest. While there are only a few data sets, all of the data set can be browsed fairly quickly. However, as the Database grows a search facility will be essential for effective use.