Technical Documentations

The research and infrastructure software, the management and publication systems and the long-term archiving solutions described here in detail represent the technical profiles and portfolios of the GFBio data centers (GFBio archives).

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Within GFBio we distinguish five major types of biological data. They are used for the "Service Description" of the individual Collection Data Centers.

• Type 1 data are biodiversity and occurrence data which are treated by the ABCD and DwC standards and extensions (see Data exchange standards, protocols and formats relevant for the collection data domain within the GFBio network and Technical documentation of GFBio publication of type 1 data). (Type 1a are collection data, type 1b observation data without collection object.) (primary identifier=biological (digital) object (with or without material) with geo-information and time as main secondary information)

• Type 2 data are taxonomic (checklist) data, which are treated via the ABCD and DwC standards (primary identifier=taxon name according the rule of the three International Codes of Biological Nomenclature)

• Type 3 data are environmental biological and ecological data, which are transferred into a highly structured format at data item level (e.g., single measurement) and associated with e.g. EML or ISO 19139 metadata. This type includes functional and phylogenetic trait data, the latter are subject of DELTA or SDD standards. (primary identifier= biological concept, e.g. OTU or OFU), with environmental (analysis, measurement) information as main secondary information or primary identifier=environmental event with biological information as main secondary information)

• Type 4 data are non-molecular analysis data (data sets and/or data packages) in its original data file format (often RAW format). (This data are accepted if well documented, with a core set of standard-compliant metadata and appropriate for long-term archiving, without further data management required.)

• Type 5 data are molecular sequence data, including MIxS-compliant metadata (primary identifier=molecular sequence with geo-information and time as main secondary information)

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• Technical documentation of collection management systems (installations at the GFBio collection data centers, essential for the portfolios, type 1 data)

• Technical documentation of management systems, data processing and publication tools not specialised on collection data (installations at the GFBio collection data centers, essential for the portfolios, type 1-4 data)

• Technical documentation of multimedia data management systems (installations at the GFBio collection data centers, essential for the portfolios, eventually relevant for type 1-4 data)

• Technical documentation of long-term archiving solutions at the GFBio collection data centers

• Technical documentation of PANGAEA management software

• Technical documentation of GFBio related IT services, tools and databases at the data centers (installations at the GFBio collection data centers, which are not included in the GFBio technical portfolios)

• Technical documentation of GFBio publication pipelines for type 1 data

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Data management software supported by GFBio as user service for data producers is described under Tools and Workbenches; see also services provided by the GFBio Terminology Service.