The conduct of science in Antarctica is the cornerstone of the Antarctic Treaty System.

 

Antarctic Science is:

• Interdisciplinary
• Multinational
• Globally relevant
• Complex
• Politically important

The Antarctic Treaty (section III.1.c) says, "Scientific observations and results from Antarctica shall be exchanged and made freely available."

 

The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) and the Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programmes (COMNAP) established JCADM in 1997 to manage Antarctic data. JCADM helps facilitate co-operation between scientists and nations with regard to scientific data.

 

JCADM advises on the development of the Antarctic Data Directory System.

 

Members of JCADM are usually managers of the National Antarctic Data Centres, or a relevant national contact.