How To Guides

Draft

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This guide is designed orient new and prospective data providers to using Symbiota, a tool for managing and publishing fossil specimen data.

TEST EDIT FOR ADAM

Introduction

What is Symbiota?

Symbiota Logo Symbiota is open source software guided by the Darwin Core data standard for creating themed data portals to help people share and manage biodiversity data. The PDP utilizes the version of Symbiota code that is developed by the Symbiota Support Hub (SSH), a University of Kansas-based team dedicated to the technical and social implementation of Symbiota-based data portals. The SSH provides technical support for PDP users—like nightly portal backups and routine code upgrades—whereas the portal’s Steering Committee provides guidance on best practices related to the management of fossil specimen data.

What is the “Paleo Data Portal”?

The Paleo Data Portal (“PDP”) is a Symbiota-based data portal hosted by the Symbiota Support Hub that exists to:

  • Provide low barrier-to-entry data mobilization platform
  • Increase data accessibility for research use
  • Build community with and among fossil collections not previously engaged in digitization efforts
  • Integrate with PDWG’s efforts to develop best practices in paleo data management and publishing
  • Provide a testing ground for technical solutions, e.g. those related to taxonomy

How to participate

If you manage a fossil collection and would like to use this portal to manage your specimen data, first carefully review the portal’s community guidelines. If the portal seems suitable for your needs after reviewing this information, please complete this form. Once your responses are received, someone from the Steering Committee will be in touch.

📃 Prospective data providers may wish to reference the complete directory of Symbiota portals.

Getting started

Essential functions

This section of the guide will provides an introduction to the portal’s essential functions for data providers.

Next steps

Carefully review this introductory guide to managing fossil specimen data in Symbiota.

If you maintain existing digital catalog records in a spreadsheet, this information can (and should!) be imported into the Paleo Data Portal. Data providers are strongly advised to review the Symbiota data formatting guide and complete the related checklist prior to ingesting specimen records into the portal.

New Symbiota Features to Support Digital and Extended Specimen Data

Abstract of conference oral presentation on New Symbiota Features to Support Digital and Extended Specimen Data. Presented at the 2022 meeting of the Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections.

External resources

The Paleo Data Portal is made possible by the US National Science Foundation (NSF Award #2324690/2525603).