GUID1 Workshop Welcome and Introduction

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GUID-1 WorkshopWelcome and Introduction

• Donald Hobern
• GBIF Program Officer for Data Access and
  Database Interoperability
• February 2006

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GBIF and TDWG

• GBIF Global Biodiversity Information Facility
• Megascience activity involving 42
  countries/economies and 28 international
  organisations
• Secretariat based in Copenhagen, Denmark
• Mission
• Free and universal access to worlds biodiversity
  data via Internet
• Sharing primary biodiversity data for society,
  science and a sustainable future
• Products
• Registry of biodiversity data resources
• Index of biodiversity data
• Software tools
• Web portals (http//www.gbif.net) and data
  services
• TDWG Taxonomic Databases Working Group
• Not-for-profit scientific and educational
  association
• Affiliated to the International Union of
  Biological Sciences
• Mission
• To provide an international forum for biological
  data projects
• To develop and promote the use of standards
• To facilitate data exchange

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TDWG Globally Unique Identifiers Process

• Survey of requirements an open call for input
  from all areas of biodiversity informatics (using
  mailing lists and/or Wikis to support public
  discussion)
• First workshop to review requirements, to
  evaluate candidate technologies and to establish
  working groups
• Working groups to address identified tasks using
  mailing lists and/or Wikis to support public
  discussion and provide recommendations.
• Second workshop to review working group
  recommendations and to define models and
  processes for initial implementation (mid-2006,
  location to be announced).
• Publication of TDWG standards for GUIDs and an
  initial implementation of any associated services
  and support tools

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Data navigation robust links need GUIDs
Author Name
Collector Name
Taxon Concept Name
Type material
Publication Title, Year
Specimen Catalogue Number
Sequence Data
Identified as
XML
Barcode Data
Identified as
XML
Taxon Concept Name
Type material
Specimen Catalogue Number
Barcode Data
Referenced material
Publication Title, Year
Synonymy Relationship
Character Data
Barcode Data
Character Data
Type material
Specimen Catalogue Number
Taxon Concept Name
Character Data
Identified as
Publication Title, Year
Collector Name
PDF
Author Name
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The question of identity
M(D1)
M(D2)
M(D1)
M(D2)
Which of these can be covered by the same
identifier? I.e. which of these are the same
for a given purpose?
D1
D2
D1
Digital World
Real World
O1
Object or Event
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Example 1 GUID identifies object or real-world
event
GUID-1
GUID-1
GUID-1
GUID-1
M(D1)
M(D2)
M(D1)
M(D2)
Any representation of the object may receive the
same GUID. Note that nothing ensures that the
same GUID is always used for the
object. Possible example GUID for physical
specimen
GUID-1
GUID-1
GUID-1
D1
D2
D1
Digital World
Real World
GUID-1
O1
Object or Event
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Example 2 GUID identifies digitisation event
GUID-1
GUID-1
GUID-2
GUID-2
M(D1)
M(D2)
M(D1)
M(D2)
Each digital representation of an object receives
a separate GUID. Minor corrections to a
digital representation are ignored. Possible
example Different researchers digitise the same
specimen and record different elements (Note that
these differences could be regarded as variations
in metadata)
GUID-1
GUID-2
GUID-1
D1
D2
D1
Digital World
Real World
O1
Object or Event
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Example 3 GUID identifies (fixed) digital object
GUID-3
GUID-1
GUID-2
GUID-2
M(D1)
M(D2)
M(D1)
M(D2)
Every version of the data receives its own
identifier. Note that this does not preclude
metadata indicating linkages between
versions. Possible example Gene sequence records
GUID-1
GUID-2
GUID-3
D1
D2
D1
Digital World
Real World
O1
Object or Event
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Thanks
Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation Funding
for TDWG standards development 2005-2007 National
Evolutionary Science Center Funding and
logistics for GUID Workshop 1