Every datum counts!Capitalising on small contributions to the big dreams of mobilising biodiversity information

Vishwas Chavan, Eamonn O’ Tuama, Samy Gaiji, David Remsen and Nicholas King

2008 Annual Conference of Taxonomic Databases Working Group 19-25 October 2008, Fremantle, AUSTRALIA

• Both biodiversity and biodiversity data are unevenly distributed around the world:

Developing WorldDeveloping World

BiodiversityBiodiversity

Biodiversity Biodiversity DataData

Developed WorldDeveloped World

Digital Divide Content Divide Lingual Divide

Knowledge Divide

Emerging catastrophe…………

Uneven distribution of biodiversity

Large volume of biodiversity data and information is in languages other than

English

Biodiversity Informatics

activities are concentrated in the North

Few more reasons….

Investment in biodiversity information management is towards large projects

Research in biodiversity informatics is focused towards large data publishers

Small Data Publishers – A neglected mass!

Biodiversity Knowledge Divide: Emerging Catastrophe

Open Access movement can help mobilise data - (a) from mega-biodiversity regions, and (b) by small data publishers

Good News!

Small Data Publishers: Who are they? (1)

• Can’t discover, access, and use their data• Do not know how to manage data for reuse

by others• Lack of skills, infrastructure, and support for

‘interoperable’ data management• More interested in peer-reviewed publishing

than data publishing – as former brings recognition and funding

Small Data Publishers: Who are they? (2)• PI’s of small scale projects, small and medium sized

R&D organisations and NGOs, Citizen Scientists• Citizen Scientists- e.g. Peoples Biodiversity Register• P. Bryan Heidorn’s Hypothesis: “Disproportionate

amount of dark data is in the tail of science”• Small Data Publishers forms the “Long tail” as well

“droplets” of ‘Oceans of Biodiversity Data’

Small Are BIG!• Long tail or Dark Data is economically and

ecologically very critical• Most of existing and future data would be hold

by Small Data Publishers• 80% of current investment is towards Small

Data Publishers– Total Awards: 9347– Big Awards: 1869– SMALL Awards: 7478

Source: Curating the Dark Data in the Long tail of science by P. Bryan Heidorn

Characteristics of SDP Data• Heterogeneous• Distributed and isolated• Manually generated• Individual creation• Not maintained for reuse by others• Obscured or protected• Uneven distribution as well unequal access• It is highly “Unorganised” data sector.......

Festive uses of bio resources Census of trees

Uses of Plants

Status and knowledge about medicinal plants

Census of Birds

Birds signs for forecasting or weather change

Wild AnimalsBurrowing or sub-soil fauna

Paudi village, Siwani, India

Need standards to discover and access such data!

Domestic Animals

Social belief about biodiversity

Citizen Scientists

Seed DiversityMillions of Ramsingh’s across the world are busy in generating biodiversity data

What do we lack?• Data Publishing Framework – Lack awareness

about current knowledge system• Recognition for Data Publishing• Data standards for wide spectrum of biodiversity

and associated data• Suite of standards for data life cycle (generation to

dissemination)• Standards addressing data generation phase

What do we lack?• Tools for Data Capture at its source• Metadata creation as close to the source of data

as possible• Multilingual tools and standards• Hassle-free, skill-level independent toolsBecause.....

Adapting to standards is time-consuming as well costly exercise

Digital

Biodiversity Data

Data mobilisation is like moving mountains…….

What Can be done!• Data Publishing Framework

– Proposed GBIF recommendation on Discovery and Publishing of Biodiversity Data

– GUID for data set and data records

• Expedite the process of standards development– Standards development, ratification and uptake

• Hassle-free, skill-level independent, easy to adapt standards– Standards as integral part of recording / monitoring devices– Metadata creation as close to source as possible

What Can be done!• Standards for interoperability and/or integration with

non-biodiversity data– Evaluation of authenticity, reliability, and data quality as

close to source as possible

• Outreach to national/regional/thematic standards building initiatives– Domain experts find it difficult to understand / adapt

standards– Cultural as well lingual barriers– Engagement of eastern, southern, mega-biodiversity

communities in standards development processes

What Can be done!• Internationalise standards

– Awareness in mega-biodiversity world about standards– Multilingual dissemination – talk the languages that people

understand the bests– Think Globally – Act Locally

• Moving beyond comfort zone– Standards for unorganised data sector– Standards for citizen scientists

• Address concerns of data sensitivity through standards implementation– Will standards help me in identification and protection of sensitive

data?

“Krishna” can move data mountains, if standards bodies act as “Kamdhenus”

TDWG

GBIF

because……

Every datum counts!