Channelling Data through the National Biodiversity Network Gateway

1
Channelling Data through the National
Biodiversity Network Gateway

• Richard Ostler

2

• How data flows through the NBN Gateway
• Who provides the data
• Where the data goes
• What are the issues?
• What are the challenges?

3
Quick Intro to the NBN Gateway

• www.searchnbn.net
• Online species and site mapping and reporting
• Species data downloads
• Dataset discovery metadata
• Controlled access to data
• High demand (gt120,000 visits/month and increasing)

4
Flows of Data
METADATA
5
Providers
6
Issues for data providers

• We want their data
• Were vulnerable to their whims
• Getting their metadata is hard
• Getting an ontology..
• Providers do not like their dataset being
  integrated with other datasets
• Providers disagree on taxonomy
• Internal politics between recorders
• Some recorders distrust others data.
• We have no means to assess recorder reputations.

7
Getting the data out there

• Who is our audience?
• Originally intended to be Conservation Agencies
  policy makers
• But data is on the web
• Conservationists
• Developers, planners, consultants
• Natural historians
• Universities, research institutes
• Joe public

8
Disseminating the data

• Over the web www.searchnbn.net
• Controlled dataset access
• Dataset management tools
• Web Services
• Customised web reporting
• Integrate with desktop GIS
• Controlled dataset access
• GBIF, OBIS
• limited set of public data exposed using DiGIR
  provider.

9
But we have no Ontologies

• Is it possible?
• Consider problems getting metadata
• Is it desirable?
• Through our own applications - probably not
• Through other routes probably yes
• Different language for different audiences.
• Public may not understand scientific terms
• Scientists may not understand recorder terms
• Duty to make data accessible.

10
Summary

• Diplomacy and understanding the social issues are
  vital to making data available
• There is a need to make data understandable to a
  broad user base