A sampling protocol provides the details of how the sampling was conducted. Clear communication of the sampling protocol implemented is essential to ensuring the reliability, reproducibility, and reusability of a dataset as detailed knowledge of survey methods facilitates data integration and subsequent analysis.
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Important
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Sampling protocol terms should be populated at every event level possible as inheritance in either direction should not be assumed or inferred between event levels. |
The nature of each sampling event (e.g., survey, inventory, bioblitz) should be reported using term:dwc[dwc:eventType]. Event type should provide a high level overview of sampling effort type but should not be so specific as to overlap with sampling protocol. There is no single, standardized vocabulary for term:dwc[dwc:eventType]. If your organization or community has a controlled vocabulary, it is recommended to use that vocabulary. Otherwise, you can refer to the box summarizing common event types below for guidance.
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Project: Projects are structured initiatives with explicitly stated objective or suite of objectives and with clear targets, timelines, and deliverables. Projects typically are typically linked to non-biological information identifying participating organizations and people (agents), funding agencies, and other high-level administrative information. Biological sampling may only be one facet of a project’s scope. 'Project' as an term:dwc[dwc:eventType] is appropriate only at the highest (parent) event level in a nested dataset.
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Expedition: An expedition is an organized information gathering venture that inherently includes multiple sampling events and event types. Expeditions may include multiple taxonomic and/organismal scopes, any number of documented sampling protocols, and varying degrees of complexity in survey design. 'Expedition' as a term:dwc[eventType] is typically most appropriate at higher (parent) event levels in nested dataset.
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Survey: A survey is a systematic effort to collect information about the biological organisms in a specific area at a given time. Surveys typically included at least one documented protocol and may or may not have an explicitly defined taxonomic and/or organismal scope. 'Survey' is the most general event type term and can be applied as an term:dwc[dwc:eventType] at any event level.
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Inventory: An inventory is a comprehensive survey of the taxa present in a specific area over an explicit period of time. Inventories typically have an explicit taxonomic and/or organismal scope and a well-defined protocol. 'Inventory' is typically most appropriate as a term:dwc[dwc:eventType] at lower (child) event levels in nested dataset.
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Bioblitz: A bioblitz is a survey event aimed at finding and identifying as many species as possible in a specific area over a (typically) short, contiguous period of time. Bioblitzes often include participants (agents) with a wide range of backgrounds and levels of expertise in biodiversity sciences including formal biologists as well as the broader, general public. 'Bioblitz' as an term:dwc[dwc:eventType] is typically most appropriate at lower (child) event levels in nested dataset.
Inventory event types
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If term:dwc[eventType] =
inventory, the type of search implemented (e.g., restricted search, open search, opportunistic search, trap or sample, compilation) must be reported in term:eco[eco:inventoryTypes]. -
If term:eco[inventoryTypes] =
compilation, the compilation type should be reported using term:eco[eco:compilationTypes] and data sources captured using term:eco[eco:compilationSourceTypes].
Status |
Term |
Example entry |
Recommended |
term:dwc[dwc:eventType] |
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Recommended if applicable |
term:eco[eco:inventoryTypes] |
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term:eco[eco:compilationTypes] |
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term:eco[eco:compilationSourceTypes] |
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term:dwc[samplingProtocol] is required to publish an event dataset to GBIF, however the Humboldt extension includes three (3) terms to capture information about sampling protocol in a more structured manner:
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term:eco[eco:protocolNames]
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term:eco[eco:protocolDescriptions]
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term:eco[eco:protocolReferences]
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Report the name of the sampling protocol(s) implemented with term:eco[eco:protocolNames].
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Capture details of the methods or protocols implemented using term:eco[eco:protocolDescriptions].
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Provide citation information for each protocol in term:eco[eco:protocolReferences].
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Retain term:dwc[dwc:samplingProtocol] as a verbatim field of term:eco[eco:protocolNames].
Status |
Term |
Example entry |
Required |
term:dwc[dwc:samplingProtocol] |
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Recommended |
term:eco[eco:protocolNames] |
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term:eco[eco:protocolDescriptions] |
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term:eco[eco:protocolReferences] |
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Organismal absences are defined here as the lack of detection of organisms explicitly stated as part of the target taxonomic scope.
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If the dataset includes absence information for one or more occurrences (to be reported in the ‘occurrence’ table as term:dwc[dwc:occurrenceStatus] = ‘ABSENT’), then term:eco[eco:isAbsenceReported] = ‘TRUE’.
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A list of absent taxa can be provided using term:eco[eco:absentTaxa] at all relevant levels. Absences should only be reported for taxa within the stated taxonomic and/or organismal scope of a survey. Absence cannot be asserted for bycatch.
Abundance is the number of individuals of the same taxonomic designation in a particular area at a specific time.
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If the dataset includes abundance information, term:eco[eco:isAbundanceReported] = ‘TRUE’ for all appropriate Event levels. If there is an abundance cap, then term:eco[eco:isAbundanceCapReported] = ‘TRUE’ and the value of the cap should be reported in term:eco[eco:abundanceCap].
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If there is no abundance cap, then term:eco[eco:isAbundanceCapReported] = ‘FALSE’.
Status |
Term |
Example entry |
Recommended |
term:eco[eco:isAbsenceReported] |
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term:eco[eco:isAbundanceReported] |
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term:eco[eco:isAbundanceCapReported] |
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Share if available |
term:eco[eco:absentTaxa] |
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term:eco[eco:abundanceCap] |
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A material sample is an entity "…that represents an entity of interest in whole or in part." Essentially, material samples are specimens collected during the survey event. They may consist of an entire organism, part of an organism, or a genetic sample.
If the dataset includes at least one material sample:
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term:eco[eco:hasMaterialSamples] =
TRUEat the appropriate child event level and at any relevant parent event level, and -
the type(s) of materials collected should be listed under term:eco[eco:materialSampleTypes] for each relevant event level
If the dataset or sampling event does not include material samples:
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term:eco[eco:hasMaterialSamples] =
FALSEat all appropriate sampling event levels.
A voucher is a specimen or material sample collected and accessioned into a museum collection in support of a specific project or survey effort.
If the dataset has vouchers:
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term:eco[eco:hasVouchers] =
TRUEat the appropriate child event level and at any relevant parent event level, and -
a list of institutions housing them should be shared in term:eco[eco:voucherInstitutions] for each relevant event level.
If the dataset or sampling event does NOT include vouchers:
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term:eco[eco:hasVouchers] =
FALSEat all appropriate sampling event levels
The term term:eco[eco:isLeastSpecificTargetCategoryQuantityInclusive] provides a means by which to indicate to data users if an organismal occurrence record for a specific event reporting an explicit quantity of that organism via the paired terms term:dwc[dwc:organismQuantity] and term:dwc[dwc:organismQuantityType] represents the total number of that organism observed during the event. That is, it answers the question: is this the only record of that organism during the event?
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If the quantity reported using these paired terms includes all the organisms of the same taxon sampled/observed in that single occurrence record, then term:eco[eco:isLeastSpecificTargetCategoryQuantityInclusive] =
TRUE. -
If the quantity reported using these paired terms does not include all organisms of the same taxon sampled/observed in that single occurrence record (e.g. there are two or more occurrence records reported for the same event), then term:eco[eco:isLeastSpecificTargetCategoryQuantityInclusive] =
FALSE.
Refer to Guidelines for eco:isLeastSpecificTargetCategoryQuantityInclusive for more information.
Although the general recommendation is to share all biodiversity data available at its highest spatio-temporal resolution, situations exist where it is necessary to do so. Refer to Current Best Practices for Generalizing Sensitive Species Occurrence Data for guidance on when and how to generalize or withhold information.
If specific aspects of data within the dataset are generalized, a clear summary of the data generalization process should be reported at the appropriate event level using term:dwc[dwc:dataGeneralizations].
For example, if the spatial resolution of locality data for an event is reduced to the nearest half degree, then term:dwc[dwc:dataGeneralizations] = ‘Coordinates generalized from original GPS coordinates to the nearest half degree grid cell’ for each event to which this treatment was applied. If the location information was generalized for every sampling event site in a nested hierarchy, then at the parent event level term:dwc[dwc:dataGeneralizations] = ‘Coordinates for each event site generalized from original GPS coordinates to the nearest half degree grid cell.’
If specific data are not reported with the published dataset, a clarifying statement should be provided at the appropriate event level(s) using the term:dwc[dwc:informationWithheld].
For example, if sensitive species data are not purposefully excluded from the published data, term:dwc[dwc:informationWithheld] should include a statement along the lines of ‘Sensitive species occurrence information not reported.’
Two verbatim fields are available to provide additional information about an event.
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Field notes can be copied, transcribed verbatim, or linked into term:dwc[dwc:fieldNotes].
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Additional comments about a particular Event that don’t fit in any other term can be shared using term:dwc[dwc:eventRemarks].
Both fields can be applied to any event at any level.
Status |
Term |
Example entry |
Recommended |
term:eco[eco:hasMaterialSamples] |
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term:eco[eco:hasVouchers] |
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term:eco[eco:isLeastSpecificTargetCategoryQuantityInclusive] |
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Share if available |
term:eco[eco:materialSampleTypes] |
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term:eco[eco:voucherInstitutions] |
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term:dwc[dwc:dataGeneralizations] |
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term:dwc[dwc:informationWithheld] |
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term:dwc[dwc:fieldNotes] |
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term:dwc[dwc:eventRemarks] |