Title: How Arctos handles geographical data (Part 1: database model)
Date: Tuesday, October 9, 2018
Time: 3pm ET
Where: https://idigbio.adobeconnect.com/room
Presenter/s: Michelle Koo (GIS & Biodiversity Informatics Curator, Museum of Vertebrate Zoology) and Tom Giermakowski (Sr. Collection Manager, Division of Amphibians and Reptiles, Museum of Southwestern Biology)
Abstract: In the first of two of our Geography webinars, we will focus on how the Arctos database models and organizes geographic information (including localities). We view Geography in Arctos as fundamental data that, together with a timestamp, adds critical value to a specimen or an observation; it is what transforms a preserved organism into a scientific specimen. However, geographic information is often not as easily recorded and standardized as, say, physical measurements. Arctos uses a series of tables to normalize as much as possible all geographic information that is shared among collections in Arctos while still allowing each collection control over georeferencing textual geographic descriptions of localities and allow sharing of common ones. We will demonstrate this data structure and how implementation of consistent geographical standards allows Arctos to offer the most useful locality data possible. If time allows, we will discuss work in progress and future goals for geographical data in Arctos.
In the second part of our Geography webinars on November 13th, we will focus on georeferencing and best practices of locality management: How Arctos handles geographical data (Part 2: georeferencing in Arctos)
Can’t make it? View our archived recordings here: https://arctosdb.org/learn/webinars
This is the 11th in a series of webinars on Arctos brought to you by the Arctos Working Group and kindly hosted by iDigBio.
