1 Topic by Darwyn Sumner

  • Darwyn Sumner
  • Darwyn Sumner
  • Veteran
  • Offline
  • From: Dipterists Forum
  • Registered: 10-05-2006
  • Posts: 250

Topic: NBN Portal and NSSs

A nice tidy job at https://docs.nbnatlas.org/share-data-wi … a-partner/ but still very short on documentation that will help NSSs upload their data to the Atlas.
A major omission is a method which many Recording Schemes are currently using to upload data. In partnership with BRC they are using iRecord. An example of a recent one would be the Calliphoridae Recording Scheme (dataset at https://registry.nbnatlas.org/public/show/dr1570) but there are many others in the pipeline or actively operating.
The NBN portal documentation needs to include this method in the "Share species occurrence records section", how about a downloadable pdf document from Helen Roy? Don't forget to add the pros and cons of having one's Recording Scheme appear within the BRC collection (there are cons).
For NSSs using more traditional methods the "share" instructions are not adequate, the information there may be adequate for a LERC but you can bet they all have their own "in-house" documents which clarify their own methodologies as I've had to do to assist NSSs upload.
More and better documentation please.

2 Reply by Matt Smith

  • Matt Smith
  • Veteran
  • Offline
  • Registered: 21-11-2007
  • Posts: 119

Re: NBN Portal and NSSs

If a NSS is using iRecord to upload the data then nearly all of the documentation on those pages is "not applicable" - iRecord and BRC take care of all of it and the "Data Provider" is in effect iRecord, not the NSS.

I still think it would help and encourage some of the smaller 1 and 2 person NSS if we didn't have to jump through all the hoops of providing data in "Darwin Core" format.  Rather, the NSS could supply a basic Excel spreadsheet in a standard (simple) format and have the NBN convert this into Darwin Core at their end.

Also, if we ever do get round to "live, on-line updates" of an NBN dataset, would we be expected to upload Darwin Core format data, or could we uplaod a spreadsheet as above and get NBN to do the formatting?

3 Reply by Darwyn Sumner (edited by Darwyn Sumner 13-03-2018 17:34:21)

  • Darwyn Sumner
  • Darwyn Sumner
  • Veteran
  • Offline
  • From: Dipterists Forum
  • Registered: 10-05-2006
  • Posts: 250

Re: NBN Portal and NSSs

The NSS provide the verification in the schemes I refer to. In addition to setting up their own collection (so that means following all those "setting up" instructions on the Data Portal pages AND making arrangements with BRC), they receive spreadsheet data in the usual way and those, together with their own species-occurrences, they upload to iRecord then press the "verify" button on them. At intervals arranged between the NSS and BRC, BRC press their "upload to Atlas" button. Just like Homer Simpson.
Without a verifier, BRC and iRecord are just machines (no offense to Martin Harvey who has been setting these up)

4 Reply by sratcliffe

  • sratcliffe
  • Administrator
  • Offline
  • Registered: 03-07-2017
  • Posts: 286

Re: NBN Portal and NSSs

Hi Matt,
I am sorry for not replying sooner.

I do accept data in any format and will convert the files to Darwin core for upload. I haven't advertised this in the help - because it's just me working on data formatting, upload and support, and it helps me a lot if the data can be, at least part way, formatted for upload.

I will add a sentence to the help to say that data can be sent in any format. There is already a section at the bottom saying that  NBN Exchange format datasets are still accepted. I don't want the darwin core format to put people off sending us data.

Thanks, Sophie