Darwin Test (English version)

DARWIN_TEST is a MS Access software application to validate and check records from tables in a Darwincorev2/Darwincorev4 format (standard DarwinCore version 1.2 to the exchange of information about specimens and observations from natural history collections).

DARWIN_TEST is developed and supported by the Coordination Unit of the Spanish GBIF national node (www.gbif.es), and it is recommended by them to validate data in the DARWINCORE format, before uploading databases to the web server of the GBIF network.

http://www.gbif.es/darwin_test/Darwin_test_in.php

Darwin test enables the following functionality:
Data Management.

  • To validate and check records from Darwincorev2 or Darwincore1.4 tables through queries that users can customize.
  • Activation and deactivation queries.
  • To create new validation queries to fit users needs.
  • To make direct corrections on wrong records through the validation forms. Those corrections can be set in a permanent way in the first Darwincorev2/Darwincore14 table or in a parallel table. Click here to see a tutorial video.
  • Filters creation and management that makes the user be able to remove records or generalize decimal coordinates.
  • To check scientific names in comparison to the SCIENTIFIC_NAMES table from THE CATALOGUE OF LIFE: ITIS and Species 2000, or to any other database that fits some minimum requirements.
  • To check scientific names in comparison to the table AAT (Taxonomic Authority Archives) from the Sistema de Información sobre Biodiversidad (SIB) de Colombia.
  • Coordinate conversions from UTM to decimal degrees which are used in the Darwincore format.
  • Detection of anomalous ASCII characters.
  • Generation the Apparent Quality Index to follow the improvement in data quality.
  • To eliminate those records from the Darwincore table that may not be shown into the GBIF data portal.
  • To generalize o delete geographic coordinates in those records of the DarwinCore that are considered sensitive data.
  • To provide tables of standard countries (ISO-3166), Provinces (ISO-3166-2) and continents. They have boundingbox for countries and provinces.

Technical details

  • Error detection of omission, typographic, convention and consistency of the data.
  • DARWIN_TEST is based on Microsoft Access© XP.
  • Only a database Darwin_test.mdb and you can link the DARWINCOREV2 or DARWINCORE14 table and other referecence tables to check scientific names.
  • Graphical User Interface easy-to-use.
  • Open source code available on Sourceforge.net under the terms of the EUPL.
Tool: Darwin Test (English version)

Thumbnail image for tool

Ortega-Maqueda, I. & Pando, F. (2008). DARWIN_TEST (Versión): Una aplicación para la validación y el chequeo de los datos en formato Darwincorev2 or Darwincore1.4, http://www.gbif.es/Darwin_test/Darwin_test.php (fecha cuando fue consultado). Unidad de Coordinación de GBIF.ES, CSIC. Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia, España