IDigBio API v1 Specification: Difference between revisions

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Every record that is submitted to iDigBio receives a Globally Unique Identifier (GUID) of type UUID. The iDigBio UUID is represented by the "idigbio:uuid" data field.
Every record that is submitted to iDigBio receives a Globally Unique Identifier (GUID) of type UUID. The iDigBio UUID is represented by the "idigbio:uuid" data field.
=== idigbio:links ===
The iDigBio API tries to follow the REST paradigm's HATEOAS (Hypermedia as the Engine of Application State) model, which basically means that within each API endpoint a list of relevant links to further API actions is included. The list of relevant links to further API actions is typically stored in "idigbio:links".
For example, a Recordset record may have links to its publisher, the related records, and the related mediarecords.
If the list of links is 20 or more, the link will instead go to another List rather than including the entire list in the body of the original List.  ''This needs clarification. -dstoner''
[[iDigBio API Examples]] includes examples that demonstrate this behavior.


== Endpoints ==
== Endpoints ==

Revision as of 15:16, 28 May 2014


API Version Information

This is the specification for v1 of the iDigBio API. Previous versions of the API continue to exist but should be considered deprecated. API users should migrate to using the current version of the API. This document supercedes iDigBio API v0 Specification.

iDigBio Data and Schema

Data elements generally conform to the Biodiversity Information Standards (also known as the Taxonomic Databases Working Group or TDWG) Darwin Core and Audobon Core.

The iDigBio Data Ingestion Requirements and Guidelines may be useful to understand how data becomes available in iDigBio.

Every record that is submitted to iDigBio receives a Globally Unique Identifier (GUID) of type UUID. The iDigBio UUID is represented by the "idigbio:uuid" data field.

Endpoints

Unless otherwise noted, a successful response from an API endpoint will return a JSON-formatted document.

The curly braces { and } in this document are used as a placeholder to indicate that a real value needs to be substituted. For example, {api_version} would be replaced with the actual representation of the API version such as "v1" (without the quotes).

Most of the provided usage examples include a JSON formatter (such as json_pp) to make the JSON document response easier for humans to read. Additional usage examples as well as information on JSON formatting and the "curl" command, are available in iDigBio API Examples.

There are three major types of API endpoints:

  • List - The endpoint returns a JSON document containing a list of iDigBio UUIDs and links to other records. The List of UUIDs normally does not contain content data. To get to record content data, links to each item in the List are followed.
  • Full Record - The endpoint returns a JSON document representing a Full Record for a type of object. Examples include a Specimen Record or a Media Record. The Full Record endpoint is used to retrieve all of the data about a particular object.
  • Media - A media endpoint returns one or more HTTP redirects to an actual media file (typically a JPEG image).


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GET /

Description
Returns a List of top-level API versions or service URLs.
Resource URL
http://api.idigbio.org/
Optional Parameters
None
Sample Usage
$ curl -s http://api.idigbio.org/ | json_pp
{
   "v1" : "http://api.idigbio.org/v1/",
   "check" : "http://api.idigbio.org/check",
   "v0" : "http://api.idigbio.org/v0/"
}

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GET /{api_version}

Description
Returns a List of top-level API feature types for a particular version of the API.
Resource URL
http://api.idigbio.org/v1
Optional Parameters
None
Sample Usage
$ curl -s http://api.idigbio.org/v1 | json_pp
{
   "aggregates" : "http://api.idigbio.org/v1/aggregates",
   "records" : "http://api.idigbio.org/v1/records",
   "mediaaps" : "http://api.idigbio.org/v1/mediaaps",
   "taxa" : "http://api.idigbio.org/v1/taxa",
   "people" : "http://api.idigbio.org/v1/people",
   "organizations" : "http://api.idigbio.org/v1/organizations",
   "recordsets" : "http://api.idigbio.org/v1/recordsets",
   "mediarecords" : "http://api.idigbio.org/v1/mediarecords"
}
Notes
Some of the listed feature types may deprecated. This will be noted elsewhere in this API specification document.

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GET /v1/aggregates

Description
Deprecated, do not use.

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GET /v1/mediaaps

Description
Deprecated, do not use.

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GET /v1/mediarecords

Description
Returns a List of Media Record iDigBio UUIDs. The iDigBio UUID is represented by the "idigbio:uuid" data field.
Resource URL
http://api.idigbio.org/v1/mediarecords
Optional Parameters
parameter valid values detailed description
limit 0, 1, 2, 10, ..., 100, ..., 1000, ..., n Controls the number of items returned in the List. Large values may cause HTTP requests to time out. Recommended values are from 1 to 1000.
offset 0, 1, 2, ... 1000, ..., 10000, ..., n Controls the starting offset for paging through the API. Large offsets, greater than 1000000 (1 million) are extremely inefficient, so combinations of small limits and large offsets may cause requests to fail.
Sample Usage

Request five media record items: 

$ curl -s "http://api.idigbio.org/v1/mediarecords?limit=5" | json_pp
{
   "idigbio:errors" : [],
   "idigbio:links" : {
      "idigbio:nextPage" : "http://api.idigbio.org/v1/mediarecords?limit=5&offset=5"
   },
   "idigbio:items" : [
      {
         "idigbio:links" : {
            "mediarecord" : "http://api.idigbio.org/v1/mediarecords/000003cd-0cca-421b-8f26-f557a26b0393"
         },
         "idigbio:uuid" : "000003cd-0cca-421b-8f26-f557a26b0393",
         "idigbio:version" : 1,
         "idigbio:etag" : "ce3e2f7272ec996bb479c87549ba90c15ba96426",
         "idigbio:dateModified" : "2014-04-21T22:19:27.436Z"
      },
      {
         "idigbio:links" : {
            "mediarecord" : "http://api.idigbio.org/v1/mediarecords/00000728-ffb3-4a68-9f93-137f19961121"
         },
         "idigbio:uuid" : "00000728-ffb3-4a68-9f93-137f19961121",
         "idigbio:version" : 3,
         "idigbio:etag" : "ef2cac326a60d89d8cb9005abaa82068bfa83565",
         "idigbio:dateModified" : "2014-04-24T05:03:56.782Z"
      },
      {
         "idigbio:links" : {
            "mediarecord" : "http://api.idigbio.org/v1/mediarecords/00000b03-e208-4d22-983b-506ad2842f7c"
         },
         "idigbio:uuid" : "00000b03-e208-4d22-983b-506ad2842f7c",
         "idigbio:version" : 2,
         "idigbio:etag" : "bc118a7ea53e004c82ab9b7e813e1010ae5f8e17",
         "idigbio:dateModified" : "2014-04-20T05:16:20.389Z"
      },
      {
         "idigbio:links" : {
            "mediarecord" : "http://api.idigbio.org/v1/mediarecords/000010bc-a4d4-483d-b71d-0dbdd4fd2d5a"
         },
         "idigbio:uuid" : "000010bc-a4d4-483d-b71d-0dbdd4fd2d5a",
         "idigbio:version" : 0,
         "idigbio:etag" : "68c441bd3c49507bf930f3b278f2c58f9cb792ec",
         "idigbio:dateModified" : "2014-04-20T21:38:46.679Z"
      },
      {
         "idigbio:links" : {
            "mediarecord" : "http://api.idigbio.org/v1/mediarecords/000012f9-d288-4a14-b898-77430e0a137a"
         },
         "idigbio:uuid" : "000012f9-d288-4a14-b898-77430e0a137a",
         "idigbio:version" : 1,
         "idigbio:etag" : "cf49416750fdb9bdb808c334a74b84f27bb8160b",
         "idigbio:dateModified" : "2014-04-23T02:43:08.344Z"
      }
   ],
   "idigbio:itemCount" : "2342880"
}

One point of interest here is that "idigbio:itemCount" contains the number of items of this type in the API. In this case, there are 2,342,880 mediarecords total in the API.

The next "page" of records can be requested by adding the "offset" parameter, which is already provided in the "links" section of the returned data: 

   "idigbio:links" : {
      "idigbio:nextPage" : "http://api.idigbio.org/v1/mediarecords?limit=5&offset=5"
   }

More thorough examples of using the nextPage and prevPage links as well as "offset" and "limit" are in iDigBio API Examples.

DO NOT expect to be able to page through the entire iDigBio data this way. See iDigBio API Performance if you find yourself trying to page through large amounts of data.

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GET /v1/mediarecords/{UUID}

Description
Returns the full Media Record matching the specified iDigBio UUID. The iDigBio UUID is represented by the "idigbio:uuid" data field. A Media Record contains metadata and relationship information about media (typically an image).
Resource URL
http://api.idigbio.org/v1/mediarecords/{UUID}
Optional Parameters
parameter valid values detailed description
version Integer values from 0 to maxium version of a particular record Media Records may be updated over time (changes submitted by data publishers). The "version" parameter is used to retrieve a previous version of a record. A value of "-1" returns the most recent version of a record. Omitting the "version" parameter returns the most recent version of a record.


Sample Usage

Request a single mediarecord: 

$ curl -s "http://api.idigbio.org/v1/mediarecords/ed135aeb-2bf6-4296-9e0c-014b170565b0" | json_pp
{
   "idigbio:uuid" : "ed135aeb-2bf6-4296-9e0c-014b170565b0",
   "idigbio:etag" : "3b929ca537cb245a6c640f876dbb363d90c409c3",
   "idigbio:links" : {
      "owner" : [
         "872733a2-67a3-4c54-aa76-862735a5f334"
      ],
      "record" : [
         "http://api.idigbio.org/v1/records/5414f6f3-849a-4f62-9c5d-0cc662392910"
      ],
      "recordset" : [
         "http://api.idigbio.org/v1/recordsets/40250f4d-7aa6-4fcc-ac38-2868fa4846bd"
      ],
      "mediaap" : [
         "http://api.idigbio.org/v1/mediaaps/3460b9bf-0802-45bd-85bb-45a39e443d7c"
      ]
   },
   "idigbio:version" : 1,
   "idigbio:createdBy" : "872733a2-67a3-4c54-aa76-862735a5f334",
   "idigbio:recordIds" : [
      "urn:uuid:b1b7d9b6-1078-46ea-861d-94c8cc5daf01"
   ],
   "idigbio:dateModified" : "2014-04-20T23:37:00.310Z",
   "idigbio:data" : {
      "ac:accessURI" : "http://swbiodiversity.org/imglib/seinet/ASU/ASU0055/ASU0055165_lg.jpg",
      "ac:metadataLanguage" : "en",
      "ac:subtype" : "Photograph",
      "dwc:occurrenceID" : "765167",
      "xmpRights:WebStatement" : "http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/",
      "dcterms:format" : "image/jpeg",
      "dcterms:type" : "StillImage",
      "xmp:MetadataDate" : "2012-01-24 12:20:26",
      "xmpRights:UsageTerms" : "CC BY-NC-SA (Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike)",
      "xmpRights:Owner" : "Arizona State University Vascular Plant Herbarium (ASU-Plants)",
      "ac:providerManagedID" : "urn:uuid:b1b7d9b6-1078-46ea-861d-94c8cc5daf01",
      "ac:associatedSpecimenReference" : "http://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/individual/index.php?occid=765167"
   }
}

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GET /v1/mediarecords/{UUID}/media

Description
Returns one or more HTTP redirects to a target image file (JPEG) that is associated with the specified iDigBio UUID. Omitting the "quality" parameter will return the full size image specified in the source data accessURI field and is usually served from the provider's infrastructure. Specifying the "quality" parameter will return a derivative image file that is hosted on iDigBio infrastructure. For many use cases, the recommended use of this endpoint would include the quality parameter.
Resource URL
http://api.idigbio.org/v1/mediarecords/{UUID}/media
Optional Parameters
parameter valid values detailed description
quality "thumbnail" "webview" "fullsize" Specify the quality of the image returned from the API. The values "thumbnail" or "webview" return derivative images of width 260 and 600 pixels respectively. The value "fullsize" will return the full-size original image. Omitting quality will return the full-size original image.
Sample Usage

Request a thumbnail image for a media record with iDigBio UUID of 00002091-4fb3-410a-9307-bd3e917dfcca by issuing an HTTP "GET" to the following URL: 

http://api.idigbio.org/v1/mediarecords/00002091-4fb3-410a-9307-bd3e917dfcca/media?quality=thumbnail

The response to the above URL is a series of HTTP Redirects that lead to a thumbnail image, illustrated here with the Firefox Web Developer Tools visible:

Screenshot firefox webdevtools thumbnail 00002091-4fb3-410a-9307-bd3e917dfcca.png


Note that the final image URL should not be considered stable or permanent. Images can be moved around to various storage platforms. The iDigBio UUID of the Media Record will remain constant, but the containing data, including the image locations, may change over time.

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GET /v1/records

Description
Returns a List of Specimen Record iDigBio UUIDs. The iDigBio UUID is represented by the "idigbio:uuid" data field.
Resource URL
http://api.idigbio.org/v1/records
Optional Parameters
parameter valid values detailed description
limit 0, 1, 2, 10, ..., 100, ..., 1000, ..., n Controls the number of items returned. Large values may cause HTTP requests to time out. Recommended values are from 1 to 1000.
offset 0, 1, 2, ... 1000, ..., 10000, ..., n Controls the starting offset for paging through the API. Large offsets, greater than 1000000 (1 million) are extremely inefficient, so combinations of small limits and large offsets may cause requests to fail.
Sample Usage

Request five specimen record items: 

$ curl -s "http://api.idigbio.org/v1/records?limit=5" | json_pp
{
   "idigbio:errors" : [],
   "idigbio:links" : {
      "idigbio:nextPage" : "http://api.idigbio.org/v1/records?limit=5&offset=5"
   },
   "idigbio:items" : [
      {
         "idigbio:links" : {
            "record" : "http://api.idigbio.org/v1/records/0000012b-9bb8-42f4-ad3b-c958cb22ae45"
         },
         "idigbio:uuid" : "0000012b-9bb8-42f4-ad3b-c958cb22ae45",
         "idigbio:version" : 2,
         "idigbio:etag" : "9d2209ef58ddfef276e4a06cad57d106942516c1",
         "idigbio:dateModified" : "2014-04-21T04:36:29.192Z"
      },
      {
         "idigbio:links" : {
            "record" : "http://api.idigbio.org/v1/records/00000230-01bc-4a4f-8389-204f39da9530"
         },
         "idigbio:uuid" : "00000230-01bc-4a4f-8389-204f39da9530",
         "idigbio:version" : 3,
         "idigbio:etag" : "b9083a241369e3e1c5a81db7d6e396d796a402ee",
         "idigbio:dateModified" : "2014-04-21T12:23:42.181Z"
      },
      {
         "idigbio:links" : {
            "record" : "http://api.idigbio.org/v1/records/00000234-ac13-4e01-a2ae-e9aa95f35693"
         },
         "idigbio:uuid" : "00000234-ac13-4e01-a2ae-e9aa95f35693",
         "idigbio:version" : 3,
         "idigbio:etag" : "ca72b24d3fe3c4685f417849fcec00a21b201467",
         "idigbio:dateModified" : "2014-05-03T08:57:03.106Z"
      },
      {
         "idigbio:links" : {
            "record" : "http://api.idigbio.org/v1/records/00000330-918b-4d62-bf7f-23a1f4f240e5"
         },
         "idigbio:uuid" : "00000330-918b-4d62-bf7f-23a1f4f240e5",
         "idigbio:version" : 4,
         "idigbio:etag" : "5922ca971561608960f96a4b7b30c83234aa7ea8",
         "idigbio:dateModified" : "2014-04-24T08:16:50.204Z"
      },
      {
         "idigbio:links" : {
            "record" : "http://api.idigbio.org/v1/records/00000397-5012-4dda-9b03-52230c7f4bfc"
         },
         "idigbio:uuid" : "00000397-5012-4dda-9b03-52230c7f4bfc",
         "idigbio:version" : 3,
         "idigbio:etag" : "70d7064d6a135b6d3a66c03f82e95ad498a0c047",
         "idigbio:dateModified" : "2014-04-23T04:50:44.684Z"
      }
   ],
   "idigbio:itemCount" : "15324705"
}

One point of interest here is that "idigbio:itemCount" contains the number of items of this type in the API. In this case, there are 15,324,705 specimen records total in the API.

The next "page" of records can be requested by adding the "offset" parameter, which is already provided in the "links" section of the returned data: 

   "idigbio:links" : {
      "idigbio:nextPage" : "http://api.idigbio.org/v1/records?limit=5&offset=5"
   },

More thorough examples of using the nextPage and prevPage links as well as "offset" and "limit" are in iDigBio API Examples.

DO NOT expect to be able to page through the entire iDigBio data this way. See iDigBio API Performance if you find yourself trying to page through large amounts of data.

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GET /v1/records/{UUID}

Description
Returns a full Specimen Record matching the specified iDigBio UUID. The iDigBio UUID is represented by the "idigbio:uuid" data field. A Specimen Record contains occurrence data.


Resource URL
http://api.idigbio.org/v1/records/{UUID}
Optional Parameters
parameter valid values detailed description
version Numeric values from 0 to maxium version of a particular record Specimen Records may be updated over time (changes submitted by data publishers). The "version" parameter is used to retrieve a previous version of a record. A value of "-1" returns the most recent version of a record. Omitting the "version" parameter returns the most recent version of a record.
Sample Usage
$ curl -s http://api.idigbio.org/v1/records/0000012b-9bb8-42f4-ad3b-c958cb22ae45 | json_pp
{
   "idigbio:uuid" : "0000012b-9bb8-42f4-ad3b-c958cb22ae45",
   "idigbio:etag" : "9d2209ef58ddfef276e4a06cad57d106942516c1",
   "idigbio:links" : {
      "mediarecord" : [
         "http://api.idigbio.org/v1/mediarecords/ae175cc6-82f4-456b-910c-34da322e768d",
         "http://api.idigbio.org/v1/mediarecords/d0ca23cd-d4eb-43b5-aaba-cb75f8aef9e3"
      ],
      "owner" : [
         "872733a2-67a3-4c54-aa76-862735a5f334"
      ],
      "recordset" : [
         "http://api.idigbio.org/v1/recordsets/40250f4d-7aa6-4fcc-ac38-2868fa4846bd"
      ]
   },
   "idigbio:version" : 2,
   "idigbio:createdBy" : "872733a2-67a3-4c54-aa76-862735a5f334",
   "idigbio:recordIds" : [
      "urn:uuid:ed400275-09d7-4302-b777-b4e0dcf7f2a3"
   ],
   "idigbio:dateModified" : "2014-04-21T00:36:29.192Z",
   "idigbio:data" : {
      "dwc:identifiedBy" : "Andrew Salywon, Jan 2003",
      "dwc:catalogNumber" : "ASU0010142",
      "dwc:basisOfRecord" : "PreservedSpecimen",
      "symbiotaverbatimScientificName" : "Eugenia monticola",
      "dwc:collectionCode" : "Plants",
      "dwc:decimalLongitude" : "-64.7131",
      "dcterms:references" : "http://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/individual/index.php?occid=762944",
      "dwc:scientificNameAuthorship" : "Hitchc.",
      "dwc:collectionID" : "urn:uuid:a2e32c87-d320-4a01-bafd-a9182ae2e191",
      "dwc:georeferenceSources" : "georef batch tool 2012-07-09",
      "dwc:georeferenceVerificationStatus" : "reviewed - high confidence",
      "dwc:occurrenceRemarks" : "Small tree. 3.0 m. Bark brown, stems smooth; flowers in buds yellow.",
      "dwc:otherCatalogNumbers" : "156664",
      "dwc:rights" : "http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/",
      "dwc:decimalLatitude" : "18.348",
      "dwc:day" : "21",
      "idigbio:recordId" : "urn:uuid:ed400275-09d7-4302-b777-b4e0dcf7f2a3",
      "dwc:specificEpithet" : "monticola",
      "dwc:locality" : "Coral Bay Quarter, Bordeaux Mountain Road.",
      "dwc:occurrenceID" : "762944",
      "dwc:year" : "1987",
      "dwc:recordedBy" : "P. Acevedo; A. Reilly",
      "dwc:recordNumber" : "1897",
      "dwc:family" : "Myrtaceae",
      "dwc:scientificName" : "Eugenia monticola",
      "dwc:georeferencedBy" : "jssharpe",
      "dcterms:modified" : "2012-07-09 12:00:09",
      "dwc:country" : "U.S. Virgin Islands",
      "dwc:eventDate" : "1987-08-21",
      "dwc:reproductiveCondition" : "flowers",
      "dwc:startDayOfYear" : "233",
      "dwc:habitat" : "Sunny roadside.",
      "dwc:dynamicProperties" : "Small tree. 3.0 m. Bark brown, stems smooth; flowers in buds yellow.",
      "dwc:month" : "8",
      "dwc:stateProvince" : "Saint John",
      "dwc:genus" : "Eugenia",
      "dwc:coordinateUncertaintyInMeters" : "2000",
      "dwc:institutionCode" : "ASU"
   }
}

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GET /v1/records/{UUID}/media

Description
Returns one or more HTTP redirects to a target image file (JPEG) that is associated with the specified iDigBio UUID (via the relationship to a mediarecord). If multiple mediarecords are associated with a specimen record, the particular mediarecord chosen by the API is non-deterministic. Omitting the "quality" parameter will return the full size image specified in the source data accessURI field and is usually served from the provider's infrastructure. Specifying the "quality" parameter will return a derivative image file that is hosted on iDigBio infrastructure. For many use cases, the recommended use of this endpoint would include the quality parameter. .
Resource URL
http://api.idigbio.org/v1/records/{UUID}/media
Optional Parameters
parameter valid values detailed description
quality "thumbnail" "webview" "fullsize" Specify the quality of the image returned from the API. The values "thumbnail" or "webview" return derivative images of width 260 and 600 pixels respectively. The value "fullsize" will return the full-size original image. Omitting quality will return the full-size original image.
Sample Usage


Request a thumbnail image for a specimen record with iDigBio UUID of 182c9260-0151-454a-a648-4d58ddf51bd8 by issuing an HTTP "GET" to the following URL: 

http://api.idigbio.org/v1/records/182c9260-0151-454a-a648-4d58ddf51bd8/media?quality=thumbnail

The response to the above URL is a series of HTTP Redirects that lead to a thumbnail image, illustrated here with the Firefox Web Developer Tools visible:

Screenshot firefox webdevtools thumbnail specimen 182c9260-0151-454a-a648-4d58ddf51bd8.png

Note that the final image URL should not be considered stable or permanent. Images can be moved around to various storage platforms. The iDigBio UUID of the Specimen Record will remain constant, but the containing data, including the image locations, may change over time.

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GET /v1/organizations

Description
Deprecated, do not use.

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GET /v1/people

Description
Deprecated, do not use.

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GET /v1/publishers

Description
Returns a List of Publisher iDigBio UUIDs. Publishers are the top-level entities containing metadata about data publishing locations.
Resource URL
http://api.idigbio.org/v1/publishers


Optional Parameters
parameter valid values detailed description
limit 0, 1, 2, ..., 10, ..., n Controls the number of items returned.
offset 0, 1, 2, ..., 10, ..., n Controls the starting offset for paging through the API.
Sample Usage

Retrieve a List with only one publisher entity. 

$ curl -s "http://api.idigbio.org/v1/publishers?limit=1" | json_pp
{
   "idigbio:errors" : [],
   "idigbio:links" : {
      "idigbio:nextPage" : "http://api.idigbio.org/v1/publishers?limit=1&offset=1"
   },
   "idigbio:items" : [
      {
         "idigbio:links" : {
            "publisher" : "http://api.idigbio.org/v1/publishers/076c0ff6-65e9-48a5-8e4b-2447936f9a1c"
         },
         "idigbio:uuid" : "076c0ff6-65e9-48a5-8e4b-2447936f9a1c",
         "idigbio:version" : 15,
         "idigbio:etag" : "154afad64618151ae4e39da1874acf7f0c86a6c2",
         "idigbio:dateModified" : "2014-04-18T19:14:53.966Z"
      }
   ],
   "idigbio:itemCount" : "20"
}

The next "page" of records can be requested by adding the "offset" parameter, which is already provided in the "links" section of the returned data: 

   "idigbio:links" : {
      "idigbio:nextPage" : "http://api.idigbio.org/v1/publishers?limit=1&offset=1"
   },

More thorough examples of using the nextPage and prevPage links as well as "offset" and "limit" are in iDigBio API Examples.

Back to contents

GET /v1/publishers/{UUID}

Description
Returns a full Publisher Record matching the specified iDigBio UUID. A publisher record includes links to all of the recordsets provided to iDigBio by the publisher as well as other information about each recordset.
Resource URL
http://api.idigbio.org/v1/publishers/{UUID}
Optional Parameters
parameter valid values detailed description
version Numeric values from 0 to maximum version of a particular record Publisher records may be updated over time. The "version" parameter is used to retrieve a previous version of a record. A value of "-1" returns the most recent version of a record. Omitting the "version" parameter returns the most recent version of a record.
Sample Usage
$ curl -s http://api.idigbio.org/v1/publishers/a9dfa037-425b-442b-8974-94487c29114e | json_pp
{
   "idigbio:uuid" : "a9dfa037-425b-442b-8974-94487c29114e",
   "idigbio:etag" : "e436abe5ac4015449f885f74443abd48cc2ff7f4",
   "idigbio:links" : {
      "recordset" : [
         "http://api.idigbio.org/v1/recordsets/40250f4d-7aa6-4fcc-ac38-2868fa4846bd",
         "http://api.idigbio.org/v1/recordsets/b531ea59-025d-4c29-9d23-99ae75bcd55f",
         "http://api.idigbio.org/v1/recordsets/c569e530-7322-40b8-9b66-1e0ed96fefcb"
      ]
   },
   "idigbio:version" : 9,
   "idigbio:createdBy" : "872733a2-67a3-4c54-aa76-862735a5f334",
   "idigbio:recordIds" : [
      "http://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/webservices/dwc/rss.xml",
      "http://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/"
   ],
   "idigbio:dateModified" : "2014-04-18T15:15:19.172Z",
   "idigbio:data" : {
      "auto_publish" : false,
      "rss_url" : "http://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/webservices/dwc/rss.xml",
      "publisher_type" : "symbiota",
      "base_url" : "http://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/",
      "name" : "SEINet Darwin Core Archive rss feed",
      "recordsets" : {
         "http://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/webservices/dwc/17a53c97-835b-409e-8a9a-c9a7307a4965" : {
            "link" : "http://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/datasets/dwc/ASC_DwC-A.zip",
            "contacts" : [
               {
                  "email" : "seinetadmin@asu.edu",
                  "first_name" : "Edward Gilbert"
               },
               {
                  "email" : "tina.ayers@nau.edu & deaver.herbarium@nau.edu",
                  "first_name" : "Tina Ayers"
               }
            ],
            "ingest" : true,
            "collection_description" : "Number of Specimens: 105 000 Specialty: Colorado Plateau, especially northern Arizona; northeastern Mojave Desert; northern Arizona National Parks and Monuments; vascular plants of the San Francisco Peaks and Coconino National Forest. Important Collections: M. Baker; R. E. Collom; C. F. Deaver; D. Demaree; R. K. Gierisch; L. N. Goodding; G. Goodwin; H. D. Hammond; R. H. Hevly; M. E. Jones; T. H. Kearney; Max Licher; E. L. Little, Jr.; V. O. Mayes; A. M. Phillips; G. R. Rink; C. G. Schaack; J. J. Thornber; A. F. Whiting Incorporated Herbaria: FSLF (1000 specimens) in 1989. Notes: Name for Arizona State College changed to Northern Arizona University in 1966. ASC fungi transferred to MICH in 1998. ASC is temporarily housing NAVA, until the Navajo Natural Heritage builds a new building. Date Founded: 1930. Number of Specimens: 105 000 Specialty: Colorado Plateau, especially northern Arizona; northeastern Mojave Desert; northern Arizona National Parks and Monuments; vascular plants of the San Francisco Peaks and Coconino National Forest. Important Collections: M. Baker; R. E. Collom; C. F. Deaver; D. Demaree; R. K. Gierisch; L. N. Goodding; G. Goodwin; H. D. Hammond; R. H. Hevly; M. E. Jones; T. H. Kearney; Max Licher; E. L. Little, Jr.; V. O. Mayes; A. M. Phillips; G. R. Rink; C. G. Schaack; J. J. Thornber; A. F. Whiting Incorporated Herbaria: FSLF (1000 specimens) in 1989. Notes: Name for Arizona State College changed to Northern Arizona University in 1966. ASC fungi transferred to MICH in 1998. ASC is temporarily housing NAVA, until the Navajo Natural Heritage builds a new building. Date Founded: 1930.",
            "logo_url" : "http://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/images/collicons/nauplant.jpg",
            "collection_name" : "Deaver Herbarium (Northern Arizona University)",
            "institution_web_address" : "http://nau.edu/Merriam-Powell/Biodiversity-Center/Deaver-Herbarium/",
            "id" : "http://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/webservices/dwc/17a53c97-835b-409e-8a9a-c9a7307a4965",
            "other_guids" : [],
            "update" : "2014-04-15T01:00:00"
         },
         "http://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/webservices/dwc/a2e32c87-d320-4a01-bafd-a9182ae2e191" : {
            "link" : "http://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/datasets/dwc/ASU-Plants_DwC-A.zip",
            "contacts" : [
               {
                  "email" : "seinetadmin@asu.edu",
                  "first_name" : "Edward Gilbert"
               },
               {
                  "email" : "les.landrum@asu.edu",
                  "first_name" : "Leslie Landrum"
               }
            ],
            "ingest" : true,
            "collection_description" : "The Arizona State University Vascular Plant Herbarium is the second largest in the Arid Southwest with over 285,000 specimens. Our collection of Cactaceae is one of the best in the world, being particularly rich in cytological vouchers. The Arizona State University Vascular Plant Herbarium is the second largest in the Arid Southwest with over 285,000 specimens. Our collection of Cactaceae is one of the best in the world, being particularly rich in cytological vouchers.",
            "logo_url" : "http://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/images/collicons/asu.jpg",
            "collection_name" : "Arizona State University Vascular Plant Herbarium",
            "institution_web_address" : "http://lifesciences.asu.edu/herbarium/",
            "id" : "http://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/webservices/dwc/a2e32c87-d320-4a01-bafd-a9182ae2e191",
            "other_guids" : [],
            "update" : "2014-04-15T01:00:00"
         },
         "http://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/webservices/dwc/edb9860c-c481-4d19-88cc-224a536ebcd4" : {
            "link" : "http://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/datasets/dwc/DES_DwC-A.zip",
            "contacts" : [
               {
                  "email" : "seinetadmin@asu.edu",
                  "first_name" : "Edward Gilbert"
               },
               {
                  "email" : "asalywon@dbg.org",
                  "first_name" : "Andrew Salywon"
               }
            ],
            "ingest" : true,
            "collection_description" : "Approximately 75000 specimens in collection, with emphasis on plants of the Southwest and northern Mexico, Cactaceae and Agavaceae. <div style="margin-top:10px"><b>Curator:</b> Wendy C. Hodgson (whodgson<at>dbg.org) </div> <div style="margin-top:10px"><b>Assistant Curator:</b> Andrew Salywon </div> Approximately 75000 specimens in collection, with emphasis on plants of the Southwest and northern Mexico, Cactaceae and Agavaceae. <div style="margin-top:10px"><b>Curator:</b> Wendy C. Hodgson (whodgson<at>dbg.org) </div> <div style="margin-top:10px"><b>Assistant Curator:</b> Andrew Salywon </div>",
            "logo_url" : "http://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/images/collicons/des.jpg",
            "collection_name" : "Desert Botanical Garden Herbarium Collection",
            "institution_web_address" : "http://www.dbg.org/",
            "id" : "http://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/webservices/dwc/edb9860c-c481-4d19-88cc-224a536ebcd4",
            "other_guids" : [],
            "update" : "2014-04-15T01:00:00"
         }
      }
   }
}

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GET /v1/publishers/{UUID}/recordsets

Description
Return a List of recordset iDigBio UUIDs that are associated with the Publisher of the specified iDigBio UUID (returns a list of recordsets that are published by a particular Publisher).
Resource URL
http://api.idigbio.org/v1/publishers/{UUID}/recordsets


Optional Parameters
parameter valid values detailed description
limit 0, 1, 2, ..., 10, ..., n Controls the number of items returned.
offset 0, 1, 2, ..., 10, ..., n Controls the starting offset for paging through the API.
Sample Usage
$ curl -s http://api.idigbio.org/v1/publishers/d347ee15-f16e-4650-930c-4e54d9ce549e/recordsets | json_pp
{
   "idigbio:errors" : [],
   "idigbio:links" : {},
   "idigbio:items" : [
      {
         "idigbio:links" : {
            "recordset" : "http://api.idigbio.org/v1/recordsets/271a9ce9-c6d3-4b63-a722-cb0adc48863f"
         },
         "idigbio:uuid" : "271a9ce9-c6d3-4b63-a722-cb0adc48863f"
      }
   ],
   "idigbio:itemCount" : "1"
}

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GET /v1/recordsets

Description
Returns a List of recordset iDigBio UUIDs. A recordset is a group of published data.
Resource URL
http://api.idigbio.org/v1/recordsets
Optional Parameters
parameter valid values detailed description
limit 0, 1, 2, ..., 10, ..., n Controls the number of items returned.
offset 0, 1, 2, ..., 10, ..., n Controls the starting offset for paging through the API.
Sample Usage

Request a List of recordset iDigBio UUIDs (and in this usage example, limit the number of results to 3): 

$ curl -s http://api.idigbio.org/v1/recordsets?limit=3 | json_pp
{
   "idigbio:errors" : [],
   "idigbio:links" : {
      "idigbio:nextPage" : "http://api.idigbio.org/v1/recordsets?limit=3&offset=3"
   },
   "idigbio:items" : [
      {
         "idigbio:links" : {
            "recordset" : "http://api.idigbio.org/v1/recordsets/0072bf11-a354-4998-8730-c0cb4cfc9517"
         },
         "idigbio:uuid" : "0072bf11-a354-4998-8730-c0cb4cfc9517",
         "idigbio:version" : 2,
         "idigbio:etag" : "c6df1d0673b5452af4118caf96c5c066b498e095",
         "idigbio:dateModified" : "2014-04-18T17:54:38.751Z"
      },
      {
         "idigbio:links" : {
            "recordset" : "http://api.idigbio.org/v1/recordsets/00d9fcc1-c8e2-4ef6-be64-9994ca6a32c3"
         },
         "idigbio:uuid" : "00d9fcc1-c8e2-4ef6-be64-9994ca6a32c3",
         "idigbio:version" : 3,
         "idigbio:etag" : "3d3c08b1155db3353048648fae23d05ca52e3a24",
         "idigbio:dateModified" : "2014-04-18T17:54:32.657Z"
      },
      {
         "idigbio:links" : {
            "recordset" : "http://api.idigbio.org/v1/recordsets/02fceae6-c71c-4db9-8b2f-e235ced6624a"
         },
         "idigbio:uuid" : "02fceae6-c71c-4db9-8b2f-e235ced6624a",
         "idigbio:version" : 2,
         "idigbio:etag" : "28b6a174e77f4f81f22dbf9b463a89d3b6b479a9",
         "idigbio:dateModified" : "2014-04-18T17:54:50.955Z"
      }
   ],
   "idigbio:itemCount" : "255"
}

The next "page" of records can be requested by adding the "offset" parameter, which is already provided in the "links" section of the returned data: 

   "idigbio:links" : {
      "idigbio:nextPage" : "http://api.idigbio.org/v1/recordsets?limit=3&offset=3"
   },

More thorough examples of using the nextPage and prevPage links as well as "offset" and "limit" are in iDigBio API Examples.

Back to contents

GET /v1/recordsets/{UUID}

Description
Returns the full Recordset record with the specified iDigBio UUID.
Resource URL
http://api.idigbio.org/v1/recordsets/{UUID}
Parameters


parameter valid values detailed description
version Integer values from 0 to maxium version of a particular record Recordset Records may be updated over time (changes submitted by data publishers). The "version" parameter is used to retrieve a previous version of a record. A value of "-1" returns the most recent version of a record. Omitting the "version" parameter returns the most recent version of a record.
Sample Usage
$ curl -s http://api.idigbio.org/v1/recordsets/7a8d946d-083f-4d2a-9cc9-cd590398194f | json_pp
{
   "idigbio:uuid" : "7a8d946d-083f-4d2a-9cc9-cd590398194f",
   "idigbio:etag" : "29105ddc719b92504fdc619d0be225c5fb6d3341",
   "idigbio:links" : {
      "mediarecord" : [
         "http://api.idigbio.org/v1/recordsets/7a8d946d-083f-4d2a-9cc9-cd590398194f/mediarecords"
      ],
      "owner" : [
         "872733a2-67a3-4c54-aa76-862735a5f334"
      ],
      "record" : [
         "http://api.idigbio.org/v1/recordsets/7a8d946d-083f-4d2a-9cc9-cd590398194f/records"
      ],
      "publisher" : [
         "http://api.idigbio.org/v1/publishers/1c29be70-24e7-480b-aab1-61224ded0f34"
      ]
   },
   "idigbio:version" : 0,
   "idigbio:createdBy" : "872733a2-67a3-4c54-aa76-862735a5f334",
   "idigbio:recordIds" : [
      "http://portal.neherbaria.org/portal/webservices/dwc/cedd578e-3475-4eb9-b6a9-c630f417ffc6"
   ],
   "idigbio:dateModified" : "2014-04-30T21:01:28.391Z",
   "idigbio:data" : {
      "link" : "http://portal.neherbaria.org/portal/collections/datasets/dwc/YPM-YU_DwC-A.zip",
      "contacts" : [
         {
            "email" : "patrick.sweeney@yale.edu",
            "first_name" : "General Administrator"
         },
         {
            "email" : "patrick.sweeney@yale.edu",
            "first_name" : "Patrick W. Sweeney"
         }
      ],
      "ingest" : true,
      "collection_description" : "Founded in 1864 by Daniel Cady Eaton from his personal library and plant collection, the Yale Herbarium is an internationally recognized repository with holdings of approximately 350,000 specimens from throughout the world. There are an estimated 5,000 type specimens. The collection is particularly rich in ferns, bryophytes and grasses, as well as in historically important materials from the early botanical collectors. In addition, it was the herbarium of record for the flora of southern New England from 1864 until 1955, when that function passed to the University of Connecticut at Storrs. Founded in 1864 by Daniel Cady Eaton from his personal library and plant collection, the Yale Herbarium is an internationally recognized repository with holdings of approximately 350,000 specimens from throughout the world. There are an estimated 5,000 type specimens. The collection is particularly rich in ferns, bryophytes and grasses, as well as in historically important materials from the early botanical collectors. In addition, it was the herbarium of record for the flora of southern New England from 1864 until 1955, when that function passed to the University of Connecticut at Storrs.",
      "logo_url" : "http://portal.neherbaria.org/portal/images/collicons/YU_logo_60.gif",
      "collection_name" : "Yale University Herbarium, Peabody Museum of Natural History",
      "institution_web_address" : "http://www.peabody.yale.edu/collections/bot/",
      "id" : "http://portal.neherbaria.org/portal/webservices/dwc/cedd578e-3475-4eb9-b6a9-c630f417ffc6",
      "other_guids" : [],
      "update" : "2014-04-17T01:00:00"
   }
}

Back to contents

GET /v1/recordsets/{UUID}/mediarecords

Description
Returns a List of Media Record iDigBio UUIDs that belong to the recordset of the specified iDigBio UUID.
Resource URL
http://api.idigbio.org/v1/recordsets/{UUID}/mediarecords
Optional Parameters
parameter valid values detailed description
limit 0, 1, 2, 10, ..., 100, ..., 1000, ..., n Controls the number of items returned. Large values may cause HTTP requests to time out. Recommended values are from 1 to 1000.
offset 0, 1, 2, ... 100, ..., 1000, ..., n Controls the starting offset for paging through the API. Large offsets, greater than 1000000 (1 million) are extremely inefficient, so combinations of small limits and large offsets may cause requests to fail.
Sample Usage

Return a List of mediarecord iDigBio UUIDs that belong to a particular recordset (and in this usage example, limit the number of results to 1): 

$ curl -s http://api.idigbio.org/v1/recordsets/7a8d946d-083f-4d2a-9cc9-cd590398194f/mediarecords?limit=1 | json_pp
{
   "idigbio:errors" : [],
   "idigbio:links" : {
      "idigbio:nextPage" : "http://api.idigbio.org/v1/recordsets/7a8d946d-083f-4d2a-9cc9-cd590398194f/mediarecords?limit=1&offset=1"
   },
   "idigbio:items" : [
      {
         "idigbio:links" : {
            "mediarecord" : "http://api.idigbio.org/v1/mediarecords/0002429e-28a5-46ee-8bce-c4a7bc3870d9"
         },
         "idigbio:uuid" : "0002429e-28a5-46ee-8bce-c4a7bc3870d9"
      }
   ],
   "idigbio:itemCount" : "14897"
}

The next "page" of records can be requested by adding the "offset" parameter, which is already provided in the "links" section of the returned data: 

   "idigbio:links" : {
      "idigbio:nextPage" : "http://api.idigbio.org/v1/recordsets/7a8d946d-083f-4d2a-9cc9-cd590398194f/mediarecords?limit=1&offset=1"
   },

More thorough examples of using the nextPage and prevPage links as well as "offset" and "limit" are in iDigBio API Examples.

DO NOT expect to be able to page through the entire iDigBio data this way. See iDigBio API Performance if you find yourself trying to page through large amounts of data.

Back to contents

GET /v1/recordsets/{UUID}/records

Description
Returns a List of iDigBio UUIDs that belong to the recordset of the specified entity ID.
Resource URL
http://api.idigbio.org/v1/recordsets/{UUID}/records
Optional Parameters
parameter valid values detailed description
limit 0, 1, 2, 10, ..., 100, ..., 1000, ..., n Controls the number of items returned. Large values may cause HTTP requests to time out. Recommended values are from 1 to 1000.
offset 0, 1, 2, ... 1000, ..., 10000, ..., n Controls the starting offset for paging through the API. Large offsets, greater than 1000000 (1 million) are extremely inefficient, so combinations of small limits and large offsets may cause requests to fail.
Sample Usage

Return a list with a single record item that belongs to the recordset of the specified iDigBio UUID: 

$ curl -s http://api.idigbio.org/v1/recordsets/7a8d946d-083f-4d2a-9cc9-cd590398194f/records?limit=1 | json_pp
{
   "idigbio:errors" : [],
   "idigbio:links" : {
      "idigbio:nextPage" : "http://api.idigbio.org/v1/recordsets/7a8d946d-083f-4d2a-9cc9-cd590398194f/records?limit=1&offset=1"
   },
   "idigbio:items" : [
      {
         "idigbio:links" : {
            "record" : "http://api.idigbio.org/v1/records/0002b73f-9c48-477f-b90e-13c86733f1ab"
         },
         "idigbio:uuid" : "0002b73f-9c48-477f-b90e-13c86733f1ab"
      }
   ],
   "idigbio:itemCount" : "18889"
}


The next "page" of records can be requested by adding the "offset" parameter, which is already provided in the "links" section of the returned data: 

   "idigbio:links" : {
      "idigbio:nextPage" : "http://api.idigbio.org/v1/recordsets/7a8d946d-083f-4d2a-9cc9-cd590398194f/records?limit=1&offset=1"
   },

More thorough examples of using the nextPage and prevPage links as well as "offset" and "limit" are in iDigBio API Examples.

DO NOT expect to be able to page through the entire iDigBio data this way. See iDigBio API Performance if you find yourself trying to page through large amounts of data.

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GET /v1/taxa

Description
Deprecated, do not use.

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Search

Elasticsearch is an open source distributed document-oriented NoSQL search system. Although not technically part of the API, iDigBio exposes a public Elasticsearch interface for programmers to access advanced search functionality of iDigBio data.

The following are external links to Elasticsearch reference documentation and should be considered prerequisite reading before attempting to use the iDigBio Elasticsearch interface.

There is also an elasticsearch Google Group available.

The iDigBio search index provides two document types to query on: Records (specimen records) and Media Records (media metadata). Search results are returned as JSON-formatted documents.

Each type can be queried through the following respective URLs:

Query Type Description Search URL
Records specimen records https://search.idigbio.org/idigbio/records/_search
Media Records media metadata records https://search.idigbio.org/idigbio/mediarecords/_search

The query string is appended to the URL as a parameter named "q" and follows the following pattern: 

http://search.idigbio.org/idigbio/records/_search?q=term:value

Search examples that are specific to iDigBio are available in iDigBio API Examples.

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Elasticsearch - Records

Specimen Records Query URL: 

https://search.idigbio.org/idigbio/records/_search

The following terms are currently available in the index for Records type of queries to Elasticsearch: 

"barcodevalue"
"catalognumber"
"class"
"collectioncode"
"collectionid"
"collectionname"
"collector"
"commonname"
"continent"
"country"
"county"
"datecollected"
"datemodified"
"etag"
"family"
"fieldnumber"
"genus"
"geopoint"
"hasImage"
"highertaxon"
"infraspecificepithet"
"institutioncode"
"institutionid"
"institutionname"
"kingdom"
"locality"
"maxdepth"
"maxelevation"
"mediarecords"
"mindepth"
"minelevation"
"municipality"
"occurenceid"
"order"
"phylum"
"recordset"
"scientificname"
"specificepithet"
"stateprovince"
"typestatus"
"uuid"
"verbatimlocality"
"version"
"waterbody"

The values stored in these terms are converted to lowercase, so searches based on terms should use the all-lowercase version of the string.

For example, searching for "Arkansas" in stateprovince will return no records. 

$ curl -s "http://search.idigbio.org/idigbio/records/_search?q=stateprovince:Arkansas" | json_pp | grep scientificname | wc -l
0

Searching for "arkansas" will return multiple records. 

$ curl -s "http://search.idigbio.org/idigbio/records/_search?q=stateprovince:arkansas" | json_pp | grep scientificname | wc -l
10

See iDigBio API Examples page for more Elasticsearch examples that are specific to iDigBio.

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Elasticsearch - Media Records

Media Records Query URL: 

https://search.idigbio.org/idigbio/mediarecords/_search

The following terms are currently available in the index for Media Records type of queries to Elasticsearch: 

recordset
uuid

See iDigBio API Examples page for more Elasticsearch examples that are specific to iDigBio.

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Response and Error Codes

The API returns standard HTTP status codes. Errors will likely not return a JSON document so your code should handle the raw HTTP status codes.

Retrieved from "http://www.idigbio.org/wiki/index.php?title=IDigBio_API_v1_Specification&oldid=10212"