Success (and challenges) in broadening participation and engagement in digitization
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iDigBio is funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation’s Advancing Digitization of Biodiversity Collections Program (Cooperative Agreement EF-1115210). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. All images used with permission or are free from copyright.
Success (and challenges) in broadening participation and engagement in digitization
Deborah PaulInstitute for Digital Information (iDigInfo)
Integrated Digitized Biocollections (iDigBio)at Biodiversity Information Standards (TDWG) 2013 Conference
Florence, Italy October 28 – Nov 1
Theme: Virtual Communities for Biodiversity ScienceSymposium: Empowering International e-Collaboration
for Sustainability
OverviewNIBAWhat is ?Issues and Trends
Digitization Collaboration Workforce training and resources Rich(er) data, data discovery, and data citation Sustainability hints Working group thoughts
(Theme: Hiding complexity and meeting half-way)
The Acronyms…NIBA: Network Integrated Biocollections Alliance
vision: …a vibrant, virtualized community sharing data and digitization experiencescollectively developing requirements for new tools
NSFADBC: Advancing Digitization of Biodiversity
CollectionsiDigBio: Integrated Digitized BiocollectionsTCNs: Museum Thematic Collection Networks
goalsbuild an accessible aggregated, integrated, scalable, vouchered-specimen database (USA collections)
facilitate and increase participation in digitizationenable researchers’ access to and use of the databuild partnerships to expand and enhance
and the TCNs
TCN: Plants, Herbivores and Parasitoids: A Model System for the Study of Tri-Trophic Associations
photo credit: Yon Visell
TCN: Plants, Herbivores and Parasitoids: A Model System for the Study of Tri-Trophic Associations
NIBA Implementation Plan - Goal 4Increase participation in and support for NIBA from a broad spectrum of stakeholders, both nationally and internationally.4.1. Align NIBA’s strategic plan with road-mapping exercises
of other broad-based biodiversity initiatives in order to identify areas of overlap and synergy.
BIS (TDWG) ?
Collaborate! The imperative case.Cross Disciplinary Research (CDR) needs
Cross-Disciplinary Communication
“…practical approaches to enhancing collaboration have emerged slowly…”
tracking contacts and collaborations
examples needed in listener’s terms
TDWG, iDigBio, your project?identify areas of overlap and synergypossible overlap
cyberinfrastructurestandardsworkforce trainingoutreacheducationinteroperability
vision and scope for cooperation and collaboration
NIBA Implementation Plan - Goal 3“…pursue international cooperative efforts in training in
biodiversity science…”3.1. Implement new training opportunities in
biodiversity informatics.
You just saved me a month…Workshops - just in year 2
> 150 institutions, 9 workshops, 3 symposia528 sponsored participantsVideos on Vimeo,remote participationTrain the Trainer’s modelSeries of digitization training workshops (herbaria, wet
collections, entomology, paleontology, fluid-preserved invertebrate imaging, small herbaria, )
“data curation time cut from 7 years to 3 months.”batch process 30 images per night?
iDigBio Working Groups and WorkshopsAugmenting OCR (aOCR)Biodiversity Informatics Management Working GroupCyberinfrastructure (CYWG)Developing Robust Object to Image to Data (DROID1): Flat ThingsDROID2: Pinned ThingsDROID3: 3D Objects and Things in SpiritsEducation and OutreachFluid-preserved Arthropod and Microscopic Slide Imaging Interest GroupGeoreferencing Working Group (GWG) International Whole-Drawer Digitization Interest Group (WDD)Minimum Information Standards, Authority Files, & Semantics (MISC)Paleo Digitization Working GroupPaleontologyPublic Participation in DigitizationStrategic Communication Interest GroupWebsite Content Providers Editorial Board and Interest Group
What’s in a name?Biodiversity InformaticsBiological InformaticsBioinformatics
Issues
Do we mean the same thing?Where are students learning these skills?What skills do they need?
iDigBio Biodiversity Informatics Management Working Group
https://www.idigbio.org/wiki/index.php/Biodiversity_Informatics_Management
iDigBio Biodiversity Informatics Management Working Group MissionWho
bridges the potential gap between collection managers and IT staff?
manages a digital resource, once it is created?coordinates digitization workflow development and
documentation?What socio-technical skills are needed?Where do these skilled individuals come from?Surveys in progressdigital collections need digital collections management
The Flat Sheets and Packets Working Group completed modules and associated tasks for herbarium and related collections (October 2012).
The Pinned Things in Trays and Drawers finished and posted its work for entomology (January 2013).
3D Objects in Spirits in Jars and Vials completed and posted its workflows for fluid-preserved specimens (May 2013).
3D Objects in Drawers and Trays workflows group in process now.
Augmenting OCR WG and DROID in process to incorporate ocr tools and output
Preparation-independent workflows to follow (2013).
DROID WorkflowsWorking Groups
Modular Approach
iDigBio Georeferencing Working Group (GWG)
Current Resources Ongoing Work Train-the-Trainers (TTT) I and II
Online Workshop Resource Workforce Training
listserve and wiki videos
More online training materials, collaborative development Webinars Georeferencing Workflows,
Workshop Protocols and Help
iDigBio GWG Train the Trainers I and II5 DaysPay-it-forwardCommunity Resource
Rich(er) Data and Metadata: Wanted and NeededData Quality issues (in the next room)Aggregators and IntegratorsProactive DigitizationStandards for field data collectionData model and subsequent data base changesSocial issues of data re-useData citation <–> Data discoveryHide complexity OR meet half-way?
Association of Research Libraries Report, February 2013
permanence of a digital file
engaged user base
management supports resource
Sustainability?Hints from Library Special Collections Digitization
Key success factors?understand needs of users / stakeholdersidentify activities needed to support themdelegate responsibility to manage costs
develop reliable sources of financial and non-financial support.need an actively engaged manager to set and accomplish goals.
Association of Research Libraries Report, February 2013
Key findings (a few)…Hints from Library Special Collections Digitization
Biggest challenges to long-term maintenance?besides financial resources, technological capabilities, and staff time…establishing / clarifying workflows and standardsexpertise of staffinstitutional culture…
“digitization is critical to future, but updates and upgrades are not sufficient.”management of digital resources often dispersed across departmentsare digitization projects (ever) finished?
budgeting / planning for enhancements
Working Group ThoughtsWG (Outreach) Liaison?
bridge the gap increase participation standards adoptiondigitization maturityproactive digitizationpublic documentation
An outside member?bridge the gap
no expertise
Summary and OutreachIssues and Trends
DigitizationCollaboration and Sustainability hintsWorkforce trainingRich(er) data, data discovery, and data citation
Your questions / issues / ideasTheme: Hide complexity AND meet (more than) half-way
Sources Splashes and Ripples: Synthesizing the Evidence on the Impacts of Digital Resources
Eric T. Meyer, Oxford Internet Institute at The University of Oxford & Oxford University Consulting http://www.jisc.ac.uk/media/documents/programmes/digitisation/Impact_Synthesis%20report_FINAL.pdf
A Strategic Plan for Establishing a Network Integrated Collections Alliance (NIBA) http://digbiocol.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/digistratplanfinalv1.pdf
Implementation Plan for the Network Integrated Biocollections Alliance (NIBA) http://www.aibs.org/public-policy/NIBA_Implementation_Plan.pdf
Cross-Disciplinary Communication http://www.cals.uidaho.edu/toolbox/
JISC infoNet: Tools A range of analytical tools and templates used across our infoKits. From pilot work and output from the workshop streams, it has been found that these tools can often be used
interchangeably to deal with a variety of scenarios. http://www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/tools/
Appraising our Digital Investment: Sustainability of Digitized Special Collections in ARL Libraries: A Report from Ithaka S+R and the Association of Research Libraries.
Nancy L. Maron, Ithaka S+R, Sarah Pickle, Ithaka S+R. February 2013 http://www.arl.org/storage/documents/publications/digitizing-special-collections-report-21feb13.pdf
A decadal view of biodiversity informatics: challenges and priorities Alex Hardisty, Dave Roberts and The Biodiversity Informatics Community BMC Ecology 2013, 13:16 doi:10.1186/1472-6785-
13-16 http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6785/13/16
iDigBio Working Groups iDigBio Digitization Training Workshops iDigBio Collections Digitization Workflows iDigBio Workflow Modules and Task Lists iDigBio Georeferencing Train the Trainer Workshops
Thank you TDWG, from all of us at iDigBio