The Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) recognises the need for Primary Biodiversity Data and Information to extend beyond natural history collections. To this end, GBIF convened an Observational Data Task Group (ODTG) to develop a strategy to expand the types of species’ occurrence (observation) data it can make available.

Abstract

The Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) recognises the need for Primary Biodiversity Data and Information to extend beyond natural history collections. To this end, GBIF convened an Observational Data Task Group (ODTG) to develop a strategy to expand the types of species’ occurrence (observation) data it can make available. In particular, the charge of this working group was to recommend the requirements needed to improve the existing GBIF infrastructure to facilitate the discovery, access, and analysis of observations of the occurrence of species. Specifically, the questions posed to the ODTG included:
1. What constitutes an observation of species’ occurrence?
2. What additions are required to GBIF’s data sharing infrastructure to more accurately represent species’ occurrence data?
3. How could GBIF improve its function as a resource discovery service for species’ occurrence data?
4. Who are the potential publishers2 of species’ occurrence data and how can they be encouraged to contribute to GBIF?

Authors

Kelling, Steve; Baban Ingole, Brenda Daly, Bruce Stein, Denis Lepage, Eamonn
O’Tuama, Jerry Cooper, Matthew Jones, Tapani Lahti, and Vishwas Chavan

Publisher

GBIF Secretariat

Rights holder

GBIF