Ocean Best Practices [self-paced course]

Training Course

21 January - 15 December 2025

Location

Organizer & Staff

      Participation

      Summary

      A best practice is a methodology that has repeatedly produced superior results relative to other methodologies with the same objective; to be fully elevated to a best practice, a promising method should be adopted and employed by multiple organizations.

      This course will provide an overview of the importance and relevance of using and sharing Ocean Best Practices and Standards, and will provide training on how to create, submit, share and search for Best Practices in the Ocean Best Practices System (OBPS) repository.

      The aim of this course is to raise the awareness towards the use of ocean best practices and provide guidance for creating, submitting and searching for best practices in OBPS.

      Learning outcomes

      At the end of the course the participants should:

      • Understand and explain what best practices are
      • Learn how to create a best practice
      • Know how to submit a best practice in the OBPS repository
      • Know how to search for a specific BP in the OBPS repository

      Course content

      The course is divided into the following 4 modules:

      Module 1: Module 1: What is a Best Practice

      In the first module, Prof Juliet Hermes explains what an ocean best practice (and standards) is and its importance. It also provides a short introduction to the OBPS of IOC and the GOOS endorsement process.

      Module 2: Creating a Best Practice

      In this module, Dr Rachel Przeslawski explains what are the main elements of a Best Practice and what are the elements needed to create one.

      Module 3: Submitting a Best Practice

      In this module, Mrs Pauline Simpson explains how to submit a Best Practice in the Ocean Best Practice System repository. It also provides an introduction to the Ocean Best Practice System repository and the role of the templates.

      Module 4: Searching a Best Practice in OBPS

      In this module, Dr. Cristian Muñoz, Mrs Pauline Simpson, and Dr Pier Luigi Buttigieg explain how to search for a Best Practice in the OBPS system and the backend technology that supports it.

      Target audience

      This course is open to everyone interested in best practices in ocean science, such as ocean practicioners, university students, and researchers.

      Language of instruction

      English

      Certificate

      This is a self-taught course that includes quizzes designed to help learners assess their own learning at regular intervals. In order to successfully complete the course and award a Certificate at the end, the following is mandatory:

      • complete all lessons in each Module of the course; and
      • complete all quizzes (70% minimum score for each quiz, maximum 3 attempts for each quiz, 30 minutes time limit for each attempt).

      Feedback survey 

      At the end of the course, you will be asked to fill out a feedback survey. This information will be used to improve future courses. Note: submitting the course feedback survey is mandatory to obtain the course certificate.