Read the full story at Phys.org.
Imagine the scientific discoveries that would result from a searchable online database containing millions of plant, algae, and fungi specimen records. Thanks to a new set of workflow modules to digitize specimen collections currently preserved in herbaria, something like that might be within reach. The modules are provided by the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Integrated Digitized Biocollections (iDigBio), which is facilitating a collective effort to unify digitization projects across the nation…
According to recent estimates, approximately half of U.S. herbaria and universities have yet to begin mobilizing data. Nelson coordinated the development of the workflows, working alongside 28 other contributing authors, to provide guidance to institutions just beginning digitization programs as well as those seeking to streamline and tweak their current digitization configuration.
The 14 modules, each organized in seven to 36 easy-to-follow and customizable tasks, cover everything from setting up an imaging station to georeferencing. They also include methods to organize outreach events for public participation in imaging and data transcription. They are downloadable as Portable Document Format (PDF) and editable word processing files on GitHub and as PDF files at iDigBio. A full description of the workflows and their development, along with editable word processing files of the workflow modules, is available in the September issue of Applications in Plant Sciences.