Request for Proposals to draft a GBIF White Paper for enhancing 'fitness-for-use' of primary biodiversity data

Primary biodiversity data can be used for multiple purposes by various user communities worldwide.  Assessing and enhancing fitness for use of data is therefore critical for the scientific and social relevance of GBIF.   GBIF has, to date, promoted the development of best practices guidelines, tools, protocols and training programmes for evaluating and enhancing the taxonomic and geospatial quality of data (Chapman, A.D. 2005. Principles of Data Quality, version 1.0: Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Copenhagen. 58 pp. ISBN: 87-92020-03-8 (available as a standalone PDF from http://www2.gbif.org/TM1.pdf)).  In order to further develop a community-agreed roadmap, there is a need for commissioning a White Paper for enhancing taxonomic and geospatial ‘fitness-for-use’ of primary biodiversity data. Commissioned parties will not be paid consultancy rates but will receive an honorarium.

Broad Scope of the White Paper:

1. Review: Review of the processes and best practices etc for enhancing taxonomic and geospatial quality of primary biodiversity data;
2. Gap Analysis: Indentify gaps in current practices, tools, standards, processes etc. used for enhancing taxonomic and geospatial quality of primary biodiversity data;
3. Catalogue: Roster or catalogue of existing tools, procedures, and best practices etc. in use for enhancing the taxonomic and geospatial quality of primary biodiversity data;
4. Recommendations: Recommendations on how GBIF, as a community, should address these issues to evolve a next generation ‘data quality enhancement framework’ , including:
• What new practices, procedures, tools, or infrastructure need to be in place for improving fitness-for-use of data types (specimen, observational, multimedia, and domain specific data such as marine biodiversity, fisheries, invasive, agro-biodiversity etc.)?
• How such practices, procedures, tools, or infrastructure can be be integrated into data lifecycle workflows, especially within the GBIF network. 
• Enhancing the ability of the GBIF network to incorporate annotations with regards to fitness-for-use of GBIF mobilised data.
• Identifying key partners and the rationale for collaboration e.g. other biodiversity informatics initiatives, etc.
• How GBIF should proceed – for e.g. meeting of experts, synergizing community efforts, integration of activities/tools etc.

The White paper will have two distinct sections dealing with:
 (a) ‘taxonomic quality enhancements’ and (b)’geospatial quality enhancements’.

Timeline:

Submission of Proposals:  25th November 2009
Finalisation of Contract:  30th November 2009
Initial draft of White Paper:  30th January 2010
Community consultations complete:  28th February 2010
Release of White Paper:  30th March 2010

• Authors are expected to circulate the draft paper to the key stakeholder communities (taxonomists, biodiversity researchers, users of biodiversity data, and experts in the area of biodiversity informatics, and geo-referencing, etc) in order to receive feedback/ comments. 
• The GBIF Secretariat can provide the mechanism to coordinate the process of seeking feedback from the stakeholder communities through its community portal, and mailing lists, etc. Author(s) may also seek inputs from other experts and/or user groups (e.g. TAXACOM, TDWG, etc.).
• Relevant comments/suggestions by the stakeholder communities need to be addressed and/or incorporated in the final version of the White Paper.

Request for Proposals:

The GBIF Secretariat invites concise proposals from individuals and/or research groups to develop this ‘GBIF White Paper on enhancing ‘fitness-for-use’ of primary biodiversity data’. Proposals should include:

1. a proposed Table of Contents of the White paper;
2. brief CVs of individuals and/or research group members undertaking the task; and
3. honorarium expected.

Author(s) may choose to offer their services for either one of the two sections (taxonomic or geospatial) of the White Paper, or for both the sections.

Proposals must be sent to Dr. Vishwas Chavan, Senior Programme Officer for DIGIT by 25th November 2009 (email: vchavan_@If you can read this, please upgrade to a modern browser.gbif.org).