AIMS supports standards, technology and good practices for open access and open data in the agricultural domain. Its goal is to empower (agricultural) information management specialists all over the world in creating access to agricultural knowledge. AIMS does this in the following pillars:
AIMS is also a portal with information about and access to standards, technology and good practices. It is also a forum for connecting information management workers worldwide and for discussing open access and open data. AIMS stands for collaboration and interoperability.
AIMS provides:
AIMS is part of CIARD, the global movement for open agricultural knowledge for development.
Through the VEST Directory, AIMS becomes a reference portal to discover the vocabularies, technology and metadata sets used in the agricultural domain. For example, an institution seeking to start a digital repository can find how to do it, and who is working in similar areas on AIMS.
The VEST Directory is aligned with the CIARD RING, a directory of datasets and information services. Jointly via the AIMS platform, these two resources provide access to existing information resources and to the semantics that are necessary for enhancing interoperability of agricultural systems and repositories.
AIMS plays a key role on the development and implementation of semantic technologies for enhancing the interoperability of agricultural information systems. A number of initiatives related to the Semantic Web are taking place within the AIMS community. These innovative experiences are meant to support those institutions that wish to consume and publish linked data as a means of sharing, and exchange agricultural research information in the context of new challenges to agriculture.
Recommendations and good practices on how to produce Linked Open Data are part of the core of AIMS:
AIMS provides an open and free space to exchange ideas, suggestions, questions, and solutions around the core areas of information management standards, technology and methodologies.
The AIMS community is made up of individuals interested in information management from around the world, with a variety of technical expertise. By registering on AIMS, they subscribe to the monthly newsletter and daily news by topic, participate in capacity building activities, and receive news and events. Users can share news and cases studies from their institutions through blogging and publishing sharing news on AIMS.
AIMS community members learn about information management resources, receive support on how to use them, connect with other community members, share experiences, and discover current trends in agricultural information management, participate and share posts on topics of interest to the community.
AIMS engages in capacity development activities which seek to build the technical capacity of individuals and national/regional/international institutions to implement Open Access and Open Data projects in the agricultural domain in the following activities:
AIMS provides support in standards, technologies and methodologies to open access to knowledge initiatives and to open data initiatives. In this regard AIMS becomes a reference point for the CIARD movement through the provision of Information Management Resources, Community of Practice and Capacity Development.