Vincent S. SmithNatural History Museum, London, U.K.

Small pieces loosely joinedToward a unified theory of biodiversity for the web

Macro taxonomyThe foundation for biodiversity research

• Inventory the Earth’s species• Document their relationships• “Publish” & apply these data

Goal…

• 1.8 M described spp. (10M names)• 300M pages (over last 250 years)• 1.5-3B specimens

Data set…

People…• 4-6,000 scientists• 30-40,000 “pro-amateurs”• Many more citizen scientists?

Micro taxonomyThe process of taxonomic research

• Parochial• Specialised experts• Fragmented & distributed

Sociology…

• Different (domain specific)• Communities of practice• Non transferable skills

Methodology…

Output…• Heterogeneous & scattered• High volume, low impact• Hard to find (use)

Micro taxonomyThe process of taxonomic research

• Parochial• Specialised experts• Fragmented & distributed

Sociology…

• Communities of practice • Epistemological richness!• Non transferable skills

Methodology…

Output…• Heterogeneous & scattered• High volume, low impact• Hard to find (use)

Traditional scholarly communication“Paper-minds”

Issues…• 50% descriptions are copyright (1923)• Author pays model problematic (indiv. & societies)• Limited Open Access and accessibility• High transaction costs of publishing • No mechanism for updates & corrections• Little or no data integration (except citations)• No mechanism for community engagement

Result…• Most taxonomic “knowledge” is never published• What is published cannot be mobilised• Low impact (but long half life)

Integrating macro & micro taxonomy

Communication

?

Bridging the interface between policy and practice

Data People

New forms of communicationLessons for scholarly communication

http://scratchpads.eu

What is a Scratchpad?A website for you & your community

Your data1

Published & reviewedon your site

3Uploaded &

tagged

2

Your data1

Published & reviewedon your site

3Uploaded &

tagged

2

Fast Intuitive Fit for use

What is a Scratchpad?A website for you & your community

What can Scratchpads do?Import, manage, search & browse:

DNA & Phylogenies

Specimens

Literature Images

DNA & Phylogenies

Specimens

Literature ImagesTaxonomy

What can Scratchpads do?Integration & connectivity within & between sites

+Administration -Change your site information -Change you front page -Change your logo -Activity and access logs+Backup -Backing up your data -Restoring your data+Bibliography -Creating a record -Importing from a ref. manager -Exporting to a reference manager+Blog -Creating and adding a blog+Custom Content -Defining a CCK -Importing from a spreadsheet -Creating a custom view+Fileshare -Creating and using a fileshare+Forum -Altering the forum settings -Creating a container for a forum -Creating a new forum -Creating a new topic inside a forum

+Groups -Creating a group -Subscribing to a group+Image -Uploading & basic annotation -Linking image & location records -Linking image & specimen records -Linking image & publication records -Overlay annotations on images+Layout -Change your theme -Menus -Blocks and sidebars+Locations -Creating a record -Importing from a spreadsheet+Pages -Creating, editing, cloning & deleting -Configuring the panels template+Panels -Adding & configuring content -Creating a new panel -Citing a Panels page+Phylogeny -Adding a phylogenetic tree

+Specimens -Creating a record -Importing from a spreadsheet -Linking specimen & location records -Linking specimen & pub. records+Tasks -Creating a tasklist+Taxonomy -Importing from a spreadsheet -Importing from ClassificationBank -Starting from scratch -Taxonomy manager -Displaying a classification -Adding names -Deleting names -Taxonomy & panels+Users -Your settings -Adding a new user -User roles and permissions -Adding and editing user profile fields -Logging in+Webform -Creating and using webforms

What can Scratchpads do?In summary:

An ecosystem of communities

AntsBeesBeetlesBig-headed fliesBirdsBlackfliesCiliatesCockroachesDragon TreesDung BeetlesFalse ButtonweedFlat wormsFliesForaminiferaFossil InsectsFungus GnatsHolometabolaLeaf-miner FliesLiceLichens of BermudaMalvaceaeMegalastrum fernsMilichiid fliesMosquitoesMossesNannotax fossilsNepticuloid mothsPalmsPearl oystersPolychaete wormsScaleworms

TermitesTriticid grassesWeevilsWood Ferns

Sulawesi FernsStick insects

Sites: 130+

Users: 1500+

Pages: 170k

Since March 2007

Dynamically built species pages

A data management tool

Browsed through a taxonomy

A data management tool

Including 3rd party content

A data publishing tool

QuickTime™ and a decompressor

are needed to see this picture.QuickTime™ and a

decompressorare needed to see this picture.

With data curation toolsWith data curation tools

A data publishing tool

Listing all “authors”

A data publishing tool

Dated, permanent & citable

A data publishing tool

“Small pieces loosely joined”

Scratchpad impact

1. Bringing data togetherBiodiversity studies are data rich, poorly archived & ever changing

2. Bringing people togetherBiodiversity researchers are few in number, fragmented & highly distributed

3. Bringing science togetherBiodiversity science demands a different approach to addressing BIG questions

Questions?