scholarly journals Completing the Data Pipeline: Collections Data Use in Research, Education and Outreach

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. e26522
Author(s):  
Gil Nelson ◽  
Molly Phillips ◽  
Anna Monfils ◽  
Bruce MacFadden ◽  
Gabriela Hogue

Type of Submission: Symposium and Educational Share Fair Themes: Digitisation and Collections Data, Collections Access and Use, Education, and Science Communications Full Title: Completing the Data Pipeline: Collections Data Use in Research, Education and Outreach Short Title: Joint SCNet/BLUE/iDigBio Symposium at SPNHC 2018 Organizers: Gil Nelson, Molly Phillips, Bruce MacFadden, Gabriela Hogue, and Anna Monfils Sponsors: iDigBio, Small Collections Network (SCNet), and Biodiversity Literacy Litercy in Undergraduate Education (BLUE) Contact information: Molly Phillips [email protected] 352-672-2664 and Gil Nelson [email protected] 850-766-2649 Symposium Abstract Natural history collections around the world have been digitizing and making their data available online with the support of initiatives like GBIF, iDigBio, and ALA. Collections digitization and mobilization efforts are far from complete, but with hundreds of millions of specimen records now available online, natural history collections can safely claim the distinction of being a source of ‘big data”. The purpose of this symposium is to highlight the diverse uses of digital collections resources for research, education, and outreach including activities that are currently underway around the globe with special focus on using collections data for: innovative research applications, inspiring outreach initiatives intended for new audiences, and educational resources and programs that are ensuring a new generation of competent collections data users. We anticipate this to be a full day event with up to 20 speakers. We will invite selected speakers to submit abstracts and depend on abstract submissions through the SPNHC abstract submission process. Educational Share Fair In addition to the symposium, we propose a one hour roundtable “share fair” session for educational materials. This is an opportunity for participants to get feedback on education or outreach materials that are in development. This differs from the normal SPNHC DemoCamp in both format and focus. During the one hour time period, we will offer two rounds of ten presentations simultaneously. Each presenter will be set up at a round table and be given 25 minutes to present their materials and collect feedback and generate discussion with the participants that sit at their table. These are intended as informal sessions so no AV will be provided, but presenters can bring a laptop and copies of any of their materials to share. Depending on turnout, we could offer 20 unique presentations or repeat the 10 presentation in both sessions to allow participants to give feedback to multiple presenters. We will advertise the share fair broadly through various listservs to generate presenters and participants.

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. e26473
Author(s):  
Molly Phillips ◽  
Anne Basham ◽  
Marc Cubeta ◽  
Kari Harris ◽  
Jonathan Hendricks ◽  
...  

Natural history collections around the world are currently being digitized with the resulting data and associated media now shared online in aggregators such as the Global Biodiversity Information Facility and Integrated Digitized Biocollections (iDigBio). These collections and their resources are accessible and discoverable through online portals to not only researchers and collections professionals, but to educators, students, and other potential downstream users. Primary and secondary education (K-12) in the United States is going through its own revolution with many states adopting Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS https://www.nextgenscience.org/). The new standards emphasize science practices for analyzing and interpreting data and connect to cross-cutting concepts such as cause and effect and patterns. NGSS and natural history collections data portals seem to complement each other. Nevertheless, many educators and students are unaware of the digital resources available or are overwhelmed with working in aggregated databases created by scientists. To better address this challenge, participants within the National Science Foundation Advancing Digitization for Biodiversity Collections program (ADBC) have been working to increase awareness of, and scaffold learning for, digitized collections with K-12 educators and learners. They are accomplishing this through individual programs at institutions across the country as part of the Thematic Collections Networks and collaboratively through the iDigBio Education and Outreach Working Group. ADBC partners have focused on incorporating digital data and resources into K-12 classrooms through training workshops and webinars for both educators and collections professionals, as well as through creating educational resources, websites, and applications that use digital collections data. This presentation includes lessons learned from engaging K-12 audiences with digital data, summarizes available resources for both educators and collections professionals, shares how to become involved, and provides ways to facilitate transfer of educational resources to the K-12 community.


2020 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henry Väre ◽  
Leena Myllys ◽  
Risto Väinölä ◽  
Pasi Sihvonen ◽  
Anniina Kuusijärvi ◽  
...  

The herbarium collections are sub-collections of the Finnish Museum of Natural History Luomus that manages national natural history collections, as referred to in the Universities Act. The general collections policy defines the overall principles and guidelines concerning the collections practices. The sub-collections policies specify its guidelines and instructions, considering the special nature of the sub-collections. The policy for the botanical and mycological herbarium collections guides the activities related to all botanical, mycological and phycological collections in herbaria, hence excluding digital collections, DNA and tissue samples as well as living collections, which have separate policies. The herbarium collections policy defines and outlines the purpose of the collections as is to accrue and preserve natural specimens representing biodiversity for research and university-level teaching. The policy defines the objectives and content of related activities, the division of responsibilities for the administration and care of the collections within the organisation, and the general principles and practices for the acquisition, preservation, availability and use of the collections.


2015 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 197-210 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurence M. Cook

Joseph Sidebotham (1824–1885) was a Manchester cotton baron whose natural history collections are now in the Manchester Museum. In addition to collecting he suggested a method for identifying and classifying Lepidoptera and investigated variation within species as well as species limits. With three close collaborators, he is credited with discovering many species new to Britain in both Lepidoptera and Coleoptera. A suspicion of fraud attaches to these claims. The evidence is not clear-cut in the Lepidoptera, but a possible reason is suggested why Sidebotham, as an amateur in the increasingly professional scientific world, might have engaged in deceit.


1981 ◽  
Vol 1981 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-70
Author(s):  
H. B. Carter ◽  
Judith A. Diment ◽  
C. J. Humphries ◽  
Alwyne Wheeler

2002 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 333-336
Author(s):  
PIOTR DASZKIEWICZ ◽  
MICHEL JEGU

ABSTRACT: This paper discusses some correspondence between Robert Schomburgk (1804–1865) and Adolphe Brongniart (1801–1876). Four letters survive, containing information about the history of Schomburgk's collection of fishes and plants from British Guiana, and his herbarium specimens from Dominican Republic and southeast Asia. A study of these letters has enabled us to confirm that Schomburgk supplied the collection of fishes from Guiana now in the Laboratoire d'Ichtyologie, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris. The letters of the German naturalist are an interesting source of information concerning the practice of sale and exchange of natural history collections in the nineteenth century in return for honours.


2021 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
pp. 155-182
Author(s):  
Marta Pérez‐Azcárate ◽  
Berta Caballero‐López ◽  
Francesc Uribe ◽  
Neus Ibáñez ◽  
Glòria Masó ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Eric L. Mills

Thomas McCulloch, Presbyterian minister and educator, founder of Pictou Academy, first President of Dalhousie College 1838-1843, established a museum in Pictou, NS, by 1828, including a bird collection. To McCulloch, the order of the natural world instilled in students principles of a liberal education and a model of society. His first collections were sold, but when McCulloch came to Dalhousie in 1838 he started a new collection, hoping to make it the basis of a provincial museum. In this he was aided by his son Thomas, who had been trained as a taxidermist. The younger McCulloch kept and expanded the collection until his death, after which it passed to Dalhousie College. The current McCulloch Collection, mainly the work of Thomas McCulloch junior, seems to exemplify purposes and practices of 19th century natural history. But research shows that the collection has a hybrid origin and must be viewed with great caution as an historical artifact. This is a case study in the difficulty of interpreting 19th century natural history collections without careful examination of their history.


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