The strategy of the IDA work area is to focus on three main technical areas to support development of the distributed GBIF network and associated web services, which are all based on the need for biodiversity metadata and interoperability standards:

1. Standards for data/metadata exchange formats
2. Standards for communications protocols
3. Standards for web services (see topic 2, below).

A further four broad topic areas have a cross-cutting relationship with the three technical areas:

1. Design of the GBIF metadata catalogue system
2. Development of standards-based web services for sharing biodiversity data
3. Coordination of relationships between GBIF and other major international database networks
4. Close liaison with Biodiversity Information Standards (TDWG) and other relevant standards bodies.

The IDA work area will contribute to the design of a metadata portal, while its implementation and integration with the GBIF Portal will be the responsibility of the Informatics Infrastructure and Portal (IIP) work area.

Therefore, IDA is predominantly cross-cutting other areas of work and provides advice on standards to the entire GBIF Informatics team. IDA also depends on other work areas – in particular Electronic Catalogue of Names of Known Organisms (ECAT) and Digitisation and Mobilisation of Primary Biodiversity Data (DIGIT) – for input on requirements for particular standards to support the tools and applications relevant to their content areas. In addition, IDA liaises closely with the Training work area on the development and delivery of training modules relating to the metadata catalogue system, GBRDS, web services, and biodiversity standards, as well as with the Partnership Nodes and Outreach work areas to develop and promote these technologies among GBIF partners.