Google Spreadsheet/MS Excel/Open/Neo Office

GBIF is evaluating processes that will enable basic checklist data to be published to the network via simple spreadsheets and other simple file-based or desktop solutions.

Scope

Primary Occurrence Data

• Specimen data
• Observation Data

• Taxonomic Checklist (Species List or Inventory)
• Basic denormalised classification and list of species
• Simple species list with synonymy and vernacular names
• Vernacular Names entry
• Flat denormalised table

Intended Usage

• Manual data entry via the template
• Manual metadata entry to describe the dataset
• Import/Paste from a primary source

Users who have:

• Intermittent access to internet
• low technical capacity and support
• inability to host or access a persistent online repository or IPT instance

Workflow

1. Data entry
2. Data snapshot from secondary source/pasted into a template
3. Core taxon with extensions
4. Flat vernacular names template

1. User completes template entry
2. User emails file to a remote email address
3. Email receipt triggers processes
1. One process validates the contents
1. If fail, process sends annotation as email back to the publisher. Publish remediates and emails a new version.
2. One process transforms the contents to DwC-A
3. The process calls an input method to the IPT which imports the DwC archive file and assigns it either a provision "draft" status or "published"
1. if Published then the IPT triggers the publication methods that register the dataset in the GBIF registry.