Course description

This course enables participants to plan and implement biodiversity data mobilization efforts effectively using accepted community standards. Its aim is to increase the volume, richness and quality of the data published through the GBIF network.

This course was first developed as part of the Biodiversity Information for Development (BID) programme funded by the European Union.

Topics include:

Data capture
Data management
Data publishing

This course is comprised of video instruction paired with quizzes and practical exercises. When offered as an onsite or virtual workshop, group work and social interaction are encouraged.

While efforts are made to provide materials in other languages, instruction/videos will be in English.

Audience

This course is designed for anyone who is interested in sharing data with GBIF. The instruction provided is particularly useful for those who have a need or desire to mobilize biodiversity information for their respective institutions.

Prerequisites

Additionally, to make best use of the activities around this course, the participants should possess the following skills and knowledge:

Basic skills in computer and internet use, and, in particular, in the use of spreadsheets.
Basic knowledge of biodiversity informatics including geography, mapping concepts, basic taxonomy and nomenclature rules.

Learning objectives

Learn key concepts (foundations) of biodiversity informatics, particular to biodiversity digital data management.
Receive an introduction to the Darwin Core Standard and its components.
Learn to identify the types of data and how to best capture relevant information using best practices, existing softwares, tools and techniques.
Use software tools designed to facilitate biodiversity data capture to produce digital biodiversity data from analogue sources.
Learn data quality concepts and receive an introduction to tools used for standardizing data, validating data, and cleaning data.
Use software tools to evaluate the fitness-for-use of a biodiversity dataset
Use software tools designed for (biodiversity) data cleaning.
Learn the process of making biodiversity data freely available online, also known as data publishing, utilizing GBIF’s Integrated Publishing Toolkit (IPT).
Define the publishable data types and subtypes (if any) for a biodiversity dataset.
Use the GBIF IPT to publish biodiversity datasets using the appropriate extensions.

Certification

Upon completion of the course and successful submission and assessment of assignments (by trainers), participants have the opportunity to earn a digital certification Open Badges. See Assessment and certification for more details.