[Nhcoll-l] Accession of rare photo records
Dirk Neumann
dirk.neumann at zsm.mwn.de
Tue May 22 13:43:28 EDT 2018
Hi Peter & Lance an all,
I think Peter is entirely right with his observation: it is about
accessioning and archiving data in a collection. Same surely applies to
other types of images, which often get stranded when research projects
terminate at some point, PhD candidates leave, research groups dissolve,
etc. (for example x-ray or ct-scans)
The same in principle applies for sequencing files,including archiving
of the unedited raw data of DNA samples.
Depending on format and available resources, one could either opt to
treat and archive these comparable to library acquisitions, or as
traditional "collection" items (which not necessarily need to be linked
to own collection objects or specimens).
But I have not come across a clever simple way of how to archive such
data in a comprehensive and - more important - sustainable way, i.e.
independent of individual computers or persons (as we do with our
collection objects). Some databases currently offer the possibility to
manage archive data, and (at least for our digital x-rays) it seems
convenient to treat the file name as an accession number, which then is
displayed in our database. All images are in one folder to be searched
or sorted acc. to file name or file date, which are independently
back-uped and mirrored on different serves and can be accessed from
different computers.
We are currently thinking to do it the same way with DNA-raw data, but
have not looked deeper into this ywt.
Maybe this could be one option to treat and "accession" such images.
All the best
Dirk
Am 22.05.2018 um 18:34 schrieb Peter Rauch:
> Lance's bottom-line question was:
>
> " To accession, or not to accession? How do we balance the risk of
> preserving high /_quality_/ data while at the same documenting
> potentially important events like this? "
>
> Rather than "not cataloging ... not publishing" (per Curtis) the photo
> record, and/or "adding the phot to iNaturalist" (per Mike), how about
> simply properly documenting the accession with the known information
> (incl. its apparent deficiencies), and allow others to determine for
> themselves what relevance or importance to give to the accession?
>
> Are we building accession-based information systems which are not
> designed to accommodate (document) details about the reliability /
> quality / suspect nature of those accessions; the argument that "we"
> should only accession material that is in some limited sense "pure",
> "unverifiable" (in some senses only, which could itself be highlighted
> in the accession record), seems to be more of a go-no-go threshold to
> apply to a deficiently-designed information system --one that can not
> work with less-than-perfect information.
>
> There exists a photo which depicts a frog with a possibly-reliable
> determination that can potentially document the occurrence of that
> specimen (and potentially, species) out-of-range, and likely /
> possibly due to a dispersal mechanism that we know from experience has
> had serious ecological consequences for our native biota. THAT is
> "high quality" data, though it may not be describing, e.g., specimens
> which are more commonly preserved in biological collections. Can our
> biodiversity collections not accommodate such easily-described and
> potentially valuable photographs?
>
> Peter
>
> On Mon, May 21, 2018 at 4:21 PM, Mike Rutherford
> <Mike.Rutherford at sta.uwi.edu <mailto:Mike.Rutherford at sta.uwi.edu>> wrote:
>
> As an alternative way of preserving the record for posterity why
> not add the photo to iNaturalist? Research Grade records(i.e. ones
> that have been verified by others) are shared by iNaturalist with
> GBIF so the record would be widely accessible. This way you could
> share the data without compromising your collection standards.
>
> Mike
>
> *Mr. Mike G. Rutherford*
> Curator of the University of the West Indies Zoology Museum (UWIZM)
> Department of Life Sciences
> *The University of The West Indies
> St. Augustine Campus*
>
> *Trinidad & Tobago, W.I.*
> T: (Office) 868-662-2002 ext 82231
> T: (Mobile) 868-329-8401
>
> E: mike.rutherford at sta.uwi.edu <mailto:mike.rutherford at sta.uwi.edu>
>
> S: mike.g.rutherford
>
>
> Find us on
>
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> *From:*Nhcoll-l [mailto:nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu
> <mailto:nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu>] *On Behalf Of *Curtis
> Schmidt
> *Sent:* Monday, 21 May 2018 18:28
> *To:* Lance McBrayer <lancemcbrayer at georgiasouthern.edu
> <mailto:lancemcbrayer at georgiasouthern.edu>>;
> nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu <mailto:nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu>
> *Subject:* Re: [Nhcoll-l] Accession of rare photo records
>
> Lance,
>
> What kept the individual from collecting the non-native species in
> the first place? I would certainly caution against cataloging an
> unverifiable photograph because, as you mention, it promotes bad
> science and poor quality data. It would be different if it was an
> endangered species, but I see a photograph of very little value in
> this particular situation. I personally am an advocate of not
> publishing records based on photographs unless the animals are
> protected. This is becoming an all too common practice that is
> irresponsible IMHO. I hope this helps.
>
> Curtis
>
> _________________________________
>
> Curtis J. Schmidt
>
> Zoological Collections Manager
>
> Sternberg Museum of Natural History
>
> Instructor
>
> Department of Biological Sciences
>
> Fort Hays State University
>
> 3000 Sternberg Drive
>
> Hays, KS 67601
>
> 785-650-2447 (cell)
>
> ________________________________
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> *From:*Nhcoll-l <nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu
> <mailto:nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu>> on behalf of Lance
> McBrayer <lancemcbrayer at georgiasouthern.edu
> <mailto:lancemcbrayer at georgiasouthern.edu>>
> *Sent:* Monday, May 21, 2018 3:21:24 PM
> *To:* nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu <mailto:nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu>
> *Subject:* [Nhcoll-l] Accession of rare photo records
>
> All
>
> I curate a herpetology collection of about 35,000 specimens,
> almost all of which are actual specimens. However, I also take
> definitive photographs such that there is little to no question
> about the species in the photograph. I am aware of the debate on
> the value of photographic records, but I've come into an
> interesting situation.
>
> Recently, a collector I do not know asked to voucher a photograph
> of an invasive species of tropical frog that is established in
> Florida, and now Georgia and several other states. Yet this
> record is from Massachusetts. Furthermore, the specimen was
> photographed in a potted plant in a national chain store of lumber
> and hardware...in February of 2018.
>
> Clearly the frog was brought there in or on the plant(s). But as
> such, this record is potentially valuable. This tropical frog
> species is very likely to have died in the harsh MA winter....but
> it does well cohabitating with humans...so maybe not. And the
> store is literally next to a major river. So, if it does survive
> and disperse, it could move lots of places quickly.
>
> I have contacted four other very knowledgeable herpetologists to
> confirm my identification, and that of the collector. We all agree
> it "looks like" the same species; i.e. all five of us agree on the
> identification.
>
> To accession, or not to accession? How do we balance the risk of
> preserving high /_quality_/ data while at the same documenting
> potentially important events like this?
>
> Thanks for your insights.
>
> lm
>
> --
>
> Lance D. McBrayer
>
> Associate Dean of Faculty & Research Programs
>
> College of Science and Mathematics
>
> Georgia Southern University
>
> TEL: 912.478.5111
>
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