The Importance of Standardization of the Data Format: A Case Study from the National Herbarium of the Netherlands

1. Universiteit Leiden The Importance of Standardization of the Data Format:A Case Study from the National Herbarium of the Netherlands Willemse, L.P.M., Mols, J.B., Welzen, P.C. van & Smets, E.F. (willemse@nhn.leidenuniv.nl)

2. Universiteit Leiden Standardization: The process of ensuring that the electronic storage of (biodiversity) information is consistent within and between databases in such a way that information is similarly structured and the individual basic data elements have an identical format. Data format: The exact layout and text arrangement of the contents of a basic data-element including guidelines on how to deal with exceptional/ extraordinary instances.

3. Universiteit Leiden Introduction • NHN digitization • start 1996 • project - permanent • taxon – region - group • 850,000 specimens (out of 5.5 million) • off the shelf software • three branches www.nationaalherbarium.nl/virtual/

4. Universiteit Leiden Introduction Standardization of: Data • plant distribution • ISO country code • author abbreviation • collections • periodicals Datastructure • HISPID

5. Universiteit Leiden Introduction • Protocol: • description • domain/value • syntax • guidelines • annexes Software used at the NHN: BRAHMS

6. Universiteit Leiden Data format • Data files with botanical specimen data handled between 1996 – 2006 • from the Leiden branch of the NHN • from the other two branches of the NHN • from institutes worldwide • from herbaria participating in SEABCIN (KEP, SAN, SAR, BKF, SING, BO, PNH)

7. Universiteit Leiden Data format www.seabcin.org

8. Universiteit Leiden Data format

9. Universiteit Leiden Data format The same Different

10. Universiteit Leiden Data format • Collector names: www.nationaalherbarium.nl/fmcollectors/

11. Universiteit Leiden Data format • Collector names: • different notation

12. Universiteit Leiden Data format Collector names: • different notation • more collectors

13. Universiteit Leiden Data format Collector names: • different notation • more collectors • prepositions

14. Universiteit Leiden Data format Collector names: • different notation • more collectors • prepositions • Titles/ranks & composition composition title/ranks

15. Universiteit Leiden Data format Collector number: insitute series

16. Universiteit Leiden Data format Collector number: • insitute series • used more than once

17. Universiteit Leiden Data format Collector number: • insitute series • used more than once • more series

18. Universiteit Leiden Data format Collector number: • insitute series • used more than once • more series • compound numbers

19. Universiteit Leiden Conclusions • Data from different sources are rarely completely consistent • Differences in format are “difficult” to solve (in comparison with differences in structure) • Differences interfere with data exchange • Many factors cause these differences • Standardization data format underrated

20. Universiteit Leiden Recommendations • more effort in promoting and findingmeans to enforce standards • expand HISPID • develop standard specimen labels • standard for collector names