Morpho

1. Morpho ESA July 2004

2. Morpho Is a data management software tool for ecologists. http://knb.ecoinformatics.org/software/morpho/

3. Morpho • provides a way for ecologists to share data by defining a common structure to document their data (i.e. create metadata) so that other ecologists and/or software programs can correctly interpret the data. • It uses an XML format to create the common structure.

4. So basically, Morpho is an xml editor • But what is xml?

5. XML • Like html, xml uses a system of coded tags <xxx>…..</xxx> • Whereas html defines the look and feel of text, xml defines the content.

6. XML vs. Eml As xml can define any content and Morpho is designed for ecologists this xml format has been structured for ecological data and is called EML.

7. EML Ecological Metadata Language is a content standard for documenting ecological data that is implemented using XML schema to define the structure.

8. EML The basic structure of EML emerged from the work of Michener et al. (1997), in which a set of metadata (information about the data which is pertinent to use the data) descriptors specific to the ecological sciences were developed.

9. There are 5 Levels of Ecological Metadata Descriptors • Data set descriptors • Research origin descriptors • Data set status and accessibility • Data structural descriptors • Supplemental descriptors

10. Morpho allows you to create & edit metadata without writing EML codes or remembering the structure of EML and the five classes of Metadata descriptors

11. Additionally Morpho allows you to • Search & query metadata collections • View data & data collections • Verify/edit data • Provide access control Through the Metacat server

12. Metacat • is a generic XML database that allows storage, query, and retrieval of arbitrary XML documents

13. So as you now have a basic understanding of Morpho • What it is • What it does • How it works You will now have an opportunity to explore Morpho

14. In this exercise you will… • Use Morpho to up load a data package from the 1976 classic article Sleep in Mammals: Ecological and Constitutional Correlates, by Allison Cicchetti. • Add and edit metadata using Ecological Metadata Descriptors

15. Step 1: Locate Allison and Cicchetti data Locate the data from the 1976 article Sleep in Mammals: Ecological and Constitutional Correlates, by Allison Cicchetti. Both the article and the data are on your desktop.

16. Allison and Cicchetti data • Some of the metadata you will need can be obtained from the article. • Some of the metadata you will need can be obtained from the data set.

17. Step 2: Log on to Morpho

18. Open Morpho Locate the morpho software on your computer

19. Open Morpho • This is the screen that will open on your computer • As a new user you will need to create a new profile

20. Help in Morpho Morpho comes with complete instructions located in Morpho Help…

21. Help in Morpho The User Guide, will guide you step by step through all of the functions Morpho provides

22. Creating a new profile in Morpho Follow the instructions in the wizard pop up window that opens by creating a profile name and adding your first and last name in the open dialogue boxes and click next.

23. At this point you will notice that you have to register for a new metacat account at the KNB site so you must stop with Morpho and go to the KNB website. Keep this window open.

24. Registering with KNB http://knb.ecoinformatics.org/

25. Registering with KNB in the lower left-hand part of your screen you will notice a login & registration box

26. Registering with KNB Click on link “create new account” to open the window where you can create your metacat account

27. Creating your Metacat Account • This window will open • Please fill in the registration information • Register as unaffiliated • Information in red is required.

28. Creating your Metacat Account • Write down this information as you will need your username and password to create your profile in Morpho! • You can use this account to search for data on the KNB website and to access data on Morpho

29. Creating a profile in Morpho Once you have registered at the KNB site and have established your metacat account you can return to the Morpho window and finish creating your profile in Morpho….

30. Creating a profile in Morpho Enter the Metacat username and the organization name which you registered on the knb.ecoinformatics.org site.

31. Creating a profile in Morpho • Add an identifier prefix • This identifier will become the prefix of your stored metadata file names for all the data set you enter under this profile. • This identifier prefix can be anything

32. Creating a profile in Morpho • The last step is to login into the metacat server. • Enter your Metacat password. • This is the password you created on the KNB website

33. Using Morpho with archived data Allison and Cicchetti example using Morpho **

34. Using Morpho to upload data • We will begin to use Morpho by uploading the saved allison and cicchetti data to Morpho • The software has a wizard package that walks you through step by step to upload data. • During this process, you will notice that much of the metadata can be added with this wizard

35. Adding a new data package with Package Wizard • There are 15 steps to upload data. • Information in red is required.

36. Adding a title • Begin by adding the title and an abstract.

37. Adding keywords Step 3: Add keywords

38. Adding keywords • This window will open to add Keywords • Click add to enter keywords • Once all keywords are added press OK

39. Adding keywords You will return to this window

40. Adding people and organizations Step 4: Add information about the people and organization responsible for the data

41. Adding owners • Step 5: Enter information about the data owners • To add owners click add button

42. Adding owners • This window will open • Either information previously entered or if connected to Metacat…from a different data package • Information in red is required • Click ok to enter

43. Adding owners After you submit that information you will return to this page.

44. Adding contact metadata Step 6: Add information about whom to contact for questions about use

45. Adding contact metadata • Again, a new window will appear • Information in red is required

46. Adding contact metadata • Either metadata previously entered or if connected to Metacat…from a different data package • Click ok to enter metadata

47. Adding contact metadata After you submit that Metadata you will return to this page.

48. Adding administration metadata Step 7: Enter metadata on people who administer the dataset

49. Adding administration metadata Again, chose from the earlier entries, another, data package or enter new information

50. Adding administration metadata After you submit that information you will return to this page.