This document summarizes key points from a presentation given at the Entomological Collections Network meeting about the Biodiversity Information Standards (TDWG) Conference 2013. The presentation discussed iDigBio's goals of building an accessible database of US specimen data and facilitating digitization. It provided an overview of TDWG topics like data quality, semantics, and standards. Researchers, collections managers, and others were encouraged to get involved in TDWG to help bridge the gap between research data and databases and avoid duplicating efforts.

1. From Standards to Practice and Back Again.
News from TDWG*:
The Biodiversity Information Standards (TDWG) Conference 2013
Deborah L. Paul
Institute for Digital Information (iDigInfo)
Integrated Digitized Biocollections (iDigBio) at
Entomological Collections Network (ECN) Meeting
Austin, Texas 9 – 10 November 2013
iDigBio is funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation’s Advancing Digitization of Biodiversity Collections Program
(Cooperative Agreement EF-1115210). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material
are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Images used are copyright
free or used with permission.

2. goals
 build an accessible
aggregated, integrated,
scalable,
vouchered-specimen
database (USA collections)
 facilitate and increase participation in digitization
 enable researchers’ access to and use of the data
 build partnerships to expand and enhance

3. iDigBio and the TCNs

4. Up for discussion – TDWG 2013 Topics
 Virtual Communities for Biodiversity
 eCollaboration for Sustainability
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Data Quality (whose job is this anyway)?
Semantics (who needs these)?
Big Data
Names-Based Architecture for Linking Data
Global Observation Networks
Data and Metadata Standards: Beyond Darwin Core
Scholarly Publishing
Sharing and Re-using Phylogenetic Knowledge
Interest Groups / Working Groups / TAG
 What does the work of TDWG offer to the collections community?
How is it relevant to ECN?
 http://www.tdwg.org
 https://mbgserv18.mobot.org/ocs/index.php/tdwg/2013/schedConf/presentations

5. Why standards?
http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/rosettawriting384.jpg

7. Biodiversity Information Standards
 formerly known as
 Taxonomic Databases Working Group (TDWG)
 began 1985
 Our Mission
 Develop, adopt and promote standards and guidelines
for the recording and exchange of data about organisms
 Promote the use of standards through the most
appropriate and effective means and
 Act as a forum for discussion through holding meetings
and through publications

8. Overlap
Biodiversity
Information
Standards
Collections
• Physical
• Digital
GBIF
VertNet
iDigBio
TCNs
…

9. Biodiversity Information Standards (TDWG)
 TDWG warmly welcomes all newcomers, regardless of
background. We are always seeking input from…

10. http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/duty_calls.png

11. The data is born (digital)?
 researcher collects data
 organizes it for their purpose
 or not
 non-standard metadata
 non-standard file formats, file-naming, packaging
 user file system
 unique
 sometimes enigmatic?

12. Data use, data re-use
 need rich/er metadata
 “good” (standard?) field notes
 will be increasingly shared / distributed / linked with
specimen data and flora / fauna data
 using standard terminology
 dwc, other standards, and ontologies
 data management skills
 data / dataset reuse, data citation – data
discovery, reproducibility

13. From the researcher into a database (eventually)
 has standard metadata
 in standard formats
 standard packaging
 storage
 Who bridges the transition from data collected in the
field to transform it, standardize it for
sharing, publication, storage?

14. Coming to a database near you?
What’s your title?
Research Information Manager
Technology Liaison to Science
Biodiversity Informatics Manager
Biodiversity Informatics & GIS Lab Manager
Collections Database Architect
Information Manager
Data Curator
Bioinformatics manager
Manager of Biodiversity Informatics
Research Specialist
Research Project Manager
Biodiversity Informatics Manager
Biodiversity Informatics Manager
Data Manager
Information Manager
Biodiversity Information
Assistant Botanist / Assistant Curator
Head of Nomenclature and Taxonomy
(Biodiversity Informatics)
Head, Computer Systems Office
Sr. Database Manager
Collection Manager
Database Admin/Programmer
Assistant Curator and Virtual Herbarium
Coordinator
Biological Informatician

15. For the (digital) collection manager
 tools for cleaning data
 open refine
 Specify Workbench
 Darwin Core Test validation tools
 data feedback from tools like Filtered PUSH, …
 TDWG offers tools, standards and methodologies
 enables GBIF (and others) to effectively share data
 and makes possible data discovery from other
collections
 what Texas knows…
 the Digital Collection is a tool for everyone

16. Data Quality – GBIF priorities
 metadata completeness
aids discovery and citation
data quality and fitness-for-use reports
 dataset and by species
possible approaches to endorsement of datasets
fitness-for-use working groups
all datasets and records have stable identifiers,
 allows annotation, correction, curation and citation
collaborate with other major players
 e.g., in developing a common global taxonomic
framework to underpin taxonomic quality
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17. Data Quality - Southwest Collection of
Arthropods (SCAN) Thematic Collection Network
 Filtered Push (FP) based service
 http://wiki.filteredpush.org/wiki/
 primary purpose is to connect high-quality imaged of
yet insufficiently identified specimens with suitable
experts who can provide identifications remotely
 “IDs Needed” System

18. Data quality
 Beyond Barriers: Exporting data quality assessments from
Spain Arturo H. Ariño, Francisco Pando, Javier Otegui
 Data Quality Assessment tool - Darwin Test (DT)
 validates Darwin Core Archive files
 checks common errors arising from digitization
 checks for errors from migration
 enforces data standards on records,
records not conforming are sent back
 allows for calculation of the Apparent Quality Index (AQI) of the
dataset.
 reduces noise in the data published,
 allows data to be iteratively corrected before indexing.
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19. Other bits of News from TDWG
 New standard ratified: Audubon Core
 for sharing media data and metadata
 iDigBio, Morphbank,
 Darwin Core definitions work – ongoing
 Darwin Core Archive Files +
 Semantic web
 Host relationships, for example
 Crowd-sourcing
 Collaboration
 trend / funding constraint / challenge / help
 Facilitating African Biodiversity
 next year’s meeting in Nairobi, Kenya

20. You and Biodiversity Information Standards?
 Join TDWG (it’s free)!
 Data Quality Interest Group?
 Find out what your peers are up to
 Avoid wheel re-invention and N-I-H too!
 Join the tdwg-content listserve
 North American TDWG representatives
 Bryan Heidorn
 James Macklin
 Inspiration, New Tools, New Ideas, Potential – all at TDWG

21. Acknowledgement
and Thanks to
 Gail Kampmeier, INHS
 Katja Seltmann, ECN, AMNH
 ECN 2013 Organizers and Attendees
 TDWG 2013 Organizers