1	ABCD Schema Access to Biological Collection Data Content Definition TDWG Annual Meeting 2004, Walter G. Berendsohn, ABCD subgroup convenor, 10 Nov. 2004
2	Agenda Introduction (design principles) What happened since Oeiras? Structure of ABCD Mandatory/Recommended elements Datasets – Dataset – Unit Metadata, IDs Standard process, publication, revisions
3	On the website www.bgbm.org/TDWG/CODATA/Schema/ Purpose of ABCD Origin and Evolution of ABCD Design principles Mapping existing data definitions and standards (e.g. Darwin Core, HISPID, OECDE-MDS, EURISCO)
4	Purpose of ABCD Schema A common data specification for biological collection units primary occurrence data living and preserved specimens as well as field observations Intended to provide semantic definitions Intended to support the exchange and integration of detailed primary data
5	Rich data Support multiple special interest networks within a single architecture Current research questions go beyond simple taxonomic / geographic priorities Applied research: interactions, pathogens, Research stipulated by data access: unknown questions
6	Origin and Evolution Unit-level collection standard is community effort since 1990 Based on Standards, Information models, Implemented databases, ..... CODATA (Committee on Data for Science and Technology) support since 2001 Recent contributors on Website
7	Design principles Full coverage for unit-level collection data; generalise what’s in common not for full taxonomic or nomenclatural data not for structured descriptive data not for collection-level “meta”data Polymorphism (variable atomisation) be inclusive, allow to connect less structured data sources
8	Design principles Extendibility slots for standardised community-specific data items slot for interim extensions Flexible containers element-element or element-attribute couples for category-value pairs allow freely defined and repeatable data fields (e.g., higher taxa, measurements, morphological features)
9	Design principles Typing building blocks for community standards Avoid referencing single hierarchy (current protocols) future version must support multiple object types and referencing No recursive structures programmers need some sleep, too
10	Design principles Machine-readable annotations provide documentation of the schema can be used in the mapping process (semantic search by configuration assistant) Language support language attribute where appropriate script identification needed?
11	Design principles Support of IPR statements provider rights (IPR, ownership, etc.) disclaimers restrictions for use licensing Low tech biologists must be able to join discussion
12	What happened since Oeiras? ABCD v. 1.2, continued reference implementation using BioCASe Protocol Inclusion in GBIF Portal Further discussion of content ->v. 1.49e Plant genetic resources Culture collections Metadata Documentation Standard mappings Semantic objects library for biological collections
13	ABCD Reference Implementation Driven by European projects (BioCASE, ENBI, SYNTHESYS) and Belgian and German GBIF National Node projects Uses v. 1.2 and 1.48 (culture collections) > 4 Mio. records on-line and accessible through GBIF and BioCASE portals
14	Structure Datasets Dataset Set-level metadata UDDI, derivation history, IPR, ... Unit-data Unit-level metadata Taxonomic determination and classification Collection event and site
15	ABCD – basic structure
16	ABCD – basic structure
17	ABCD: Mandatory Elements Dataset-level ContentContact/Name (UDDI administrative contact) TechnicalContact/Name (UDDI) Title (DC, short concise title for dataset) DateModified (DC, date of creation or last change) Unit-level (equivalent to DwC IDs) SourceInstitutionID SourceID UnitID
18	Basic metadata
19	Metadata: UDDI Contacts
20	Content Metadata
21	Content Metadata
22	Content Metadata
23	Content Metadata
24	Content Metadata
25	Content Metadata
26	Content Metadata
27	Content Metadata
28	Content Metadata
29	Unit IDs
30	Next steps Incorporation of further comments Consolidation of metadata definitions Consolidation of types Publication of ABCD version 2 as a proposed standard Reference implementations of v. 2 Vote at St. Petersburg?