The GBIF network is founded on the principles of free and open access to primary biodiversity data in a decentralised, global network of players. In practice, this means that original data are never ‘handed over’ to GBIF, but instead always remain under the direct control of their originators and curators.

Historically, primary biodiversity data have been collected and archived in a multitude of data structures, digitisation systems and file formats – all with widely different focuses of interest. Compiling all of these in an integrated information system with a unified search access requires standard interfaces, both for the content itself and for the interaction between datasets, or between datasets and the GBIF index.

Data owners can install publishing software that allows unified access across the large variety of technical systems and data structures. The software gives the data publisher control over deciding which content is accessible to the public. It also translates the internal data structure into a standard format, making it interoperable with other available data sources.

There are two main ways to publish data:

1. Dynamic server software:

• Acquire hardware with a permanent Internet connection (a regular PC is sufficient).
• Install data publishing software. GBIF recommends the Integrated Publishing Toolkit (IPT). You will need a web server such as Apache.
• Configure the software for your local data structure; this is the ‘mapping’ process. Please follow the documentation of your chosen publishing software for this process.
• Register your service with GBIF and sign the GBIF Data Sharing Agreement.

2. Create an archive for your entire dataset:

This scenario doesn’t require a permanent Internet connection. You simply need to create a Darwin Core Archive, upload it to a repository (for example an IPT repository installed by your GBIF Participant Node, an institutional FTP or web server, or a service like Dropbox or the Internet Archive). You then just need to register the public URL for the storage location of your archive with GBIF.