NatSigDC’s within Landcare Research Information Management: towards integration and interoperability Jerry Cooper Information Services, Landcare Research

Some Information Management Initiatives within LCR covering the spectrum from non-digital, unstructured data through to highly structured digital data, and focused on internal requirements Database Integration Spatial Data Management Knowledge Management Strategy - Tiaki Mātauranga Biodiversity Informatics Project – a prototype dataset repository

Towards data integration & interoperability LCR Database Integration Project Related ‘Biodiversity Informatics’ projects –within LCR –national projects –international projects Future directions –A National Interoperability Platform, NGI infrastructure, GRIDs & the Semantic Web.

Database Integration Project 5 year, NSOF/FRST funded project ( ) Incorporates some LCR NatSigDCs: –CHR: Plant herbarium collections, names & bibliography –PDD: Fungal herbarium collections, names, bibliography, pathology, descriptions, keys, images –ICMP: Bacterial/fungal culture collections –NVS: Vegetation Survey Databank –NSD: National Soils Database

Database Integration Project Mixture of custom applications/databases and ‘off the shelf’ software solutions, e.g.: –custom, web-service based taxonomic/bibliographic editor –Robert Colwell’s Biota data management system for insect collections Mixture of data migration/ normalization/integration and interoperability solutions, e.g.: –Integrate names & their applications –Integrate bibliographic information –Ensure collection data is interoperable –Ensure geo-spatial data is interoperable Employs/develops appropriate standard schemas and data dictionaries –particularly from TDWG (Taxonomic Databases Working Group)/CODATA

Database Integration Project Coordinated by a Reference Group –consisting of data curators, power users, project management & informatics specialists Some guiding principles: –Ensure participants share a common vision –provide dynamic access to managed primary data, not snapshots of aggregated, secondary data (data applicability too short to maintain such systems). –work iteratively on manageable, modular sub-projects with defined outcomes (but work towards the bigger picture) –be flexible and prepared to re-invent as technology changes –incorporate/develop standards (but be flexible as standards change!) –interact/collaborate with other Informatics groups both nationally and internationally –maintain the ownership of data by the providers/curators –keep things as simple as possible (system lifetime inversely related to complexity) –empower providers/curators/users to manage and manipulate their own data (desktop apps and the knowledge to use them) –maintain a strong information-science linkage. Informatics is a specialized discipline, not a standard IT support function, and not generally available from contractors

Application Development Business Systems Development Team (BSDT): –2 Business Analysts (Cooper & Kolster) –4 programmer/analysts (Wilson, Spencer, Cochrane [contractor], Connel [contractor]) –1 web developer (Fuglestad) Development environment: –MS Visual Studio.Net –MS SQL-Server –ESRI ARC-IMS/SDE (GIS) –Crystal Reports –MS Access (Prototyping) –TextML (XML Database) Emerging technologies: –XML-DBs, XML-schema, XSLT, X-Path (X-Query), Web Services

LCR BSDT recent projects NVS –web delivery of metadata & GIS-based plot localities Genetically Modified Organisms –bibliography and meta-analysis environment for data on crop hybridization and pollination systems Carbon Monitoring System –pilot study of a data-entry and analysis tool for NZ’s carbon budget implemented using web-services Biodiversity Informatics Platform –a prototype of a metadata/semi-structured data repository and query/analysis environment for research-related data using XML and MS.Net technologies TFBIS/GBIF projects...

Related National Projects - TFBIS Terrestrial & Freshwater Biodiversity Information System Programme –managed by DOC and a cross-agency steering group, on behalf of government, and in support of the NZ Biodiversity Strategy –TFBIS is funding a number of projects in addition to DOC’s extranet GIS platform –LCR has 8 projects (maybe) encompassing data/image/flora/fauna digitization, end-user analysis & GIS tools, web delivery of information –LCR’s emerging ‘biodiversity information systems’ provide a natural backbone for such activities

Related National Projects – GBIF Global Biodiversity Information Facility –Based on an MOU signed by many countries including NZ including Europe, US, Australia etc incorporates ITIS/Species2000 cataloging initiatives –MOU requires, amongst other things, each GBIF participant to: promote the sharing of biodiversity data in GBIF under a common set of standards form a node or nodes, accessible via GBIF, that will provide access to biodiversity data –The initial GBIF network will be setup during this year –The biodiversity data within NatSigDCs, and that being made available through TFBIS, is an important component of the NZ contribution

Related International Activities GBIF –Penman: member of GB Governing Board, Chair Finance Committee –Cooper: member Scientific, Technical & Advisory Group for the work programme on Data Access and Database Interoperability (DADI) –Cooper: member science committee for the work programme on Electronic Catalogue of Names (ECAT) –Cooper: interim node manager for NZ (work plan for establishment of the NZ GBIF node in preparation) VegBank (US Vegetation Survey Databank) –Proposed FGDC/NSDI standard vegetation classification model –Wiser & Cooper attended VegBank workshop. TDWG Standards Development –Cooper & Kolster: contributed to development of CODATA/BioCASE ABCD XML-Schema (Access to Biological Collection Data) –Kolster: contributed to on-going development of Structured Descriptive Data standard. –Cooper: chair new committee to formulate a data exchange standard for biological names

Future Directions? Effective participation in the knowledge economy requires the interoperability of information resources at the organizational, national and international levels –through multi-agency, multi-disciplinary, funded, collaborative initiatives that address: use of emerging integration enabling technologies –e.g. XML, Web services, UDDI etc development of appropriate physical infrastructure –e.g. Next Generation Internet (NZ Broadband Internet) development of appropriate application environments –e.g. Computing GRIDs (big news everywhere – except NZ?) development of defined, and interoperable standard vocabularies –e.g. domain ontologies, semantic maps and killer apps –The Semantic Web (major theme in EU Framework VI)