[Nhcoll-l] Converging Digital and Extended Specimens: An observation on nomenclature
Alex Hardisty
HardistyAR at cardiff.ac.uk
Fri Jan 22 05:26:56 EST 2021
Andy, Derek 😊
Thanks Mike for your remarks.
On the ‘twin’ remark, DiSSCo has used various terms at moments in the past 3 years and digital twin is the present one. My personal preference is to express as follows: ‘A Digital Specimen is a digital representation on the Internet (a surrogate) corresponding to an identifiable physical specimen in a natural science collection.’ – a ‘Specimen on the Internet’ if you will.
The current use of the term by DiSSCo ‘twin’ reflects two aspects. One is a political dimension among the policy and workprogramme statements of the European Commission as the EC finalises and enters into the next 7-year framework programme for research, ‘Horizon Europe’. Here among the funding instruments and desired work focuses, the idea of digital twins is prominent in the ICT domain. The other aspect relates to the fact that we can foresee entirely different kinds of usages of physical specimens and digital specimen data in the future. There are kinds of work that can only be done based on the physical specimen, such as analysing it’s chemistry. It is clear that in the future there will be entirely new kinds of work that can’t be done on physical specimens but which rely on the availability in digital form of data derived from and related to physical specimens – data science. To extend Derek’s reference to his offspring, the twin is not identical and it can have a different job to that of its sibling. Extended/extendable Digital Specimen digital objects are a new abstraction and this is what the consultation is principally concerned with.
On persistent identifiers, these are not specifically a topic of the first round of consultation. It is planned to include discourse about a persistent identification scheme for Digital Specimens (DS) in a subsequent round planned for late Spring. To be clear again, we are talking here only about persistent identification of Digital Specimen digital objects and nothing else. We are not proposing to alter or replace any scheme of identification (persistent or not) presently in use for physical objects. PIDs for DS will sit alongside identifiers of anything else and have their own role to play.
In the present decade, enabled by the Internet we will enter a new era of what it means to work with specimens. DiSSCo and BCoN are at the forefront of thinking about that. The global team behind the coming consultation wants to consult as widely as possible, taking all views into account to build common understanding and direction of that future.
Kind regards
--
Alex
Alex Hardisty Alex Hardisty
Director of Informatics Projects Cyfarwyddwr y Prosiect Gwybodeg
School of Computer Science and Informatics Yr Ysgol Cyfrifiadureg a Gwybodeg
Cardiff University, Queens Buildings Prifysgol Caerdydd, Adeiladau’r Frenhines
5, The Parade, Cardiff CF24 3AA 5, The Parade, Caerdydd CF24 3AA
United Kingdom Y Deyrnas Unedig
tel: +44 (0)29 2087 4861 ffôn : +44 (0)29 2087 4861
email: hardistyar at cardiff.ac.uk<mailto:hardistyar at cardiff.ac.uk> ebost: hardistyar at caerdydd.ac.uk<mailto:hardistyar at caerdydd.ac.uk>
skype: alex.hardisty skype: alex.hardisty
orcid id: orcid.org/0000-0002-0767-4310<http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0767-4310>
From: Bentley, Andrew Charles <abentley at ku.edu>
Sent: 21 January 2021 20:58
To: Derek Sikes <dssikes at alaska.edu>
Cc: Howe, Michael P.A. <mhowe at bgs.ac.uk>; nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu; Alex Hardisty <HardistyAR at cardiff.ac.uk>
Subject: Re: [Nhcoll-l] Converging Digital and Extended Specimens: An observation on nomenclature
External email to Cardiff University - Take care when replying/opening attachments or links.
Nid ebost mewnol o Brifysgol Caerdydd yw hwn - Cymerwch ofal wrth ateb/agor atodiadau neu ddolenni.
Agreed. However, the point here is that if you had a photo/x-ray, CT scan and vital staistics of one of your twins, you couldn’t actually get rid of the child right?
Andy
A : A : A :
}<(((_°>.,.,.,.}<(((_°>.,.,.,.}<)))_°>
V V V
Andy Bentley
Ichthyology Collection Manager
University of Kansas
Biodiversity Institute
Dyche Hall
1345 Jayhawk Boulevard
Lawrence, KS, 66045-7561
USA
Tel: (785) 864-3863
Fax: (785) 864-5335
Email: abentley at ku.edu<mailto:abentley at ku.edu>
http://ichthyology.biodiversity.ku.edu<https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fichthyology.biodiversity.ku.edu%2F&data=04%7C01%7CHardistyAR%40cardiff.ac.uk%7Cb68b30d73b974f92850908d8be4f33f9%7Cbdb74b3095684856bdbf06759778fcbc%7C1%7C0%7C637468595607109744%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&sdata=z8xHCS%2BeUG9uvXNt6Xl5qJpEAmHElhujsWw5SiPXqcI%3D&reserved=0>
A : A : A :
}<(((_°>.,.,.,.}<(((_°>.,.,.,.}<)))_°>
V V V
From: Derek Sikes <dssikes at alaska.edu<mailto:dssikes at alaska.edu>>
Date: Thursday, January 21, 2021 at 1:40 PM
To: Andrew Bentley <abentley at ku.edu<mailto:abentley at ku.edu>>
Cc: "Howe, Michael P.A." <mhowe at bgs.ac.uk<mailto:mhowe at bgs.ac.uk>>, "nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu<mailto:nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu>" <nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu<mailto:nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu>>, Alex Hardisty <HardistyAR at cardiff.ac.uk<mailto:HardistyAR at cardiff.ac.uk>>
Subject: Re: [Nhcoll-l] Converging Digital and Extended Specimens: An observation on nomenclature
I'll just chime in here, as a father of identical twins, that anyone who thinks the word twin means 100% identical is incorrect.
-Derek
On Thu, Jan 21, 2021 at 9:18 AM Bentley, Andrew Charles <abentley at ku.edu<mailto:abentley at ku.edu>> wrote:
Hi Michael
I agree on both counts and have indicated as much to the DiSCCCo folks. I too was worried that the word “twin” would and could be misconstrued and that the vast amount of additional information provided by the specimen itself would be lost or ignored. We have struggled in the past with views that once a specimen is digitized that the specimen can be discarded, and I worry that this terminology simply reinforces that obviously incorrect connotation.
I also agree that the coining of a new term for persistent identifiers simply muddies the water even further – unless there is something unique about PIDs that is not already conveyed by existing identifiers – which I am not sure there is. Our community has struggled with a proliferation of unique identifier systems and no coalescence around a single system that works for everyone. Adding another one to the mix I fear will not solve the problem but rather exacerbate it.
These are both great discussion threads that I think should be mentioned during the consultation coming up. I have copied Alex Hardisty who is more involved in the DiSCCCo process that developed both of these terms and may have more insights.
Thanks
Andy
A : A : A :
}<(((_°>.,.,.,.}<(((_°>.,.,.,.}<)))_°>
V V V
Andy Bentley
Ichthyology Collection Manager
University of Kansas
Biodiversity Institute
Dyche Hall
1345 Jayhawk Boulevard
Lawrence, KS, 66045-7561
USA
Tel: (785) 864-3863
Fax: (785) 864-5335
Email: abentley at ku.edu<mailto:abentley at ku.edu>
http://ichthyology.biodiversity.ku.edu<https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fichthyology.biodiversity.ku.edu%2F&data=04%7C01%7CHardistyAR%40cardiff.ac.uk%7Cb68b30d73b974f92850908d8be4f33f9%7Cbdb74b3095684856bdbf06759778fcbc%7C1%7C0%7C637468595607119695%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&sdata=x99RzlHzhG8EOAIDlh69YBRckE25CRu%2F4ppyH1vqXxw%3D&reserved=0>
A : A : A :
}<(((_°>.,.,.,.}<(((_°>.,.,.,.}<)))_°>
V V V
From: "Howe, Michael P.A." <mhowe at bgs.ac.uk<mailto:mhowe at bgs.ac.uk>>
Date: Thursday, January 21, 2021 at 12:09 PM
To: Andrew Bentley <abentley at ku.edu<mailto:abentley at ku.edu>>, "nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu<mailto:nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu>" <nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu<mailto:nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu>>
Subject: Converging Digital and Extended Specimens: An observation on nomenclature
Dear All,
As the exciting work that many of us have been engaged in for the past 10 - 20 years, to digitze our collections and thereby make them more accessible, grows in support, complexity and achievement, I wish to offer a warning and a comment.
I believe the term "digital twin" should be avoided and replaced by "digital proxy", "digital surrogate" or just "digital specimen". The word twin implies that the digital specimen is absolutely identical to the physical specimen, which it is clearly not. The physical specimen can subjected to new forms of physical analysis and at greater resolutions, in a way that a digital surrogate cannot. Also, the cynic in me knows that before long, a hard pressed administrator will argue that if we have the digital twin we don't need the physical twin.
I am also concerned with the use of the term PID - persistent identifiers. Collections have been using persistent identifiers - unique registration numbers - for over two hundred years (and the British Geological Survey since 1849). Actionable or executable persistent identifiers are a vital tool for linking to objects, but are a very much newer concept. It seems disingenuous of data scientists not to acknowledge two centuries of good practice (and all the hard work of curators and registrars) and instead use an acronym such as EPID or APID?
Any thoughts?
Thanks,
Mike Howe
Chief Curator, British Geological Survey
________________________________
From: Nhcoll-l <nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu<mailto:nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu>> on behalf of Bentley, Andrew Charles <abentley at ku.edu<mailto:abentley at ku.edu>>
Sent: 21 January 2021 16:09
To: nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu<mailto:nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu> <nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu<mailto:nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu>>
Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Consultation on Converging Digital and Extended Specimens: Towards a global specification for data integration
Dear all,
Over the past year several exciting conversations about the possibilities of digital representations of the billions of specimens currently held in the world’s natural history collections. Two concepts—the Digital Specimen<https://dissco.tech/2020/03/31/what-is-a-digital-specimen/> proposed by the Distributed System of Scientific Collections<https://www.dissco.eu/> (DiSSCo) in Europe and the Extended Specimen<https://www.idigbio.org/sites/default/files/sites/default/files/BCoN/Extending-Biodiversity-Collections-Full-Report%282%29.pdf> emerging from the Biological Collections Network<https://bcon.aibs.org/> (BCoN) in the United States—are now aligning towards a shared vision that connects all information related to a specimen, creating in effect “digital twins” for the materials held in scientific collections.
Plans for the alliance <https://www.allianceforbio.org/> consultation on Converging Digital and Extended Specimens: Towards a global specification for data integration<https://www.allianceforbio.org/post/converging-digital-and-extended-specimens-towards-a-global-specification-for-data-integration> are progressing well.
Beginning in February, the consultation<http://bit.ly/esdsconsult> will seek to engage the wider community on a handful of topics that have technical, financial, social, governance and professional implications that require broader discussion and consensus. The consultation aims to expand participation in the process, build support for further collaboration, identify key use cases, and develop an initial roadmap for community adoption and implementation.
GBIF, DiSCCo, iDigBio, ALA, and the Biodiversity Collections Network (BCoN), among others, invite you to register for one of the two virtual opening sessions that will be held on February 16 by following the links below and then to become involved in the Discourse consultation discussion process.
Session 1 6:00 UTC<https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcodemvrD0vHdXJqojDgS3KACD8bbXorB-D>
Session 2 15:00 UTC<https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwkf-2rrTkjE9zZIWu18G3DgDUHAGSyELz1>
The GBIF community forum landing page for the consultation<https://discourse.gbif.org/t/about-the-digital-extended-specimen-category/2394> is also now live. This page will hold guidance on the consultation process with links to the discussion threads. Please see links on the landing page to more background documents. If you are a new user of the GBIF community forum you will need to register.
The organizers are excited by the large attendance at recent related events and expect a thoughtful and robust consultation.
Thanks
Andy (on behalf of BCoN)
A : A : A :
}<(((_°>.,.,.,.}<(((_°>.,.,.,.}<)))_°>
V V V
Andy Bentley
Ichthyology Collection Manager
University of Kansas
Biodiversity Institute
Dyche Hall
1345 Jayhawk Boulevard
Lawrence, KS, 66045-7561
USA
Tel: (785) 864-3863
Fax: (785) 864-5335
Email: abentley at ku.edu<mailto:abentley at ku.edu>
http://ichthyology.biodiversity.ku.edu<https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fichthyology.biodiversity.ku.edu%2F&data=04%7C01%7CHardistyAR%40cardiff.ac.uk%7Cb68b30d73b974f92850908d8be4f33f9%7Cbdb74b3095684856bdbf06759778fcbc%7C1%7C0%7C637468595607119695%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&sdata=x99RzlHzhG8EOAIDlh69YBRckE25CRu%2F4ppyH1vqXxw%3D&reserved=0>
A : A : A :
}<(((_°>.,.,.,.}<(((_°>.,.,.,.}<)))_°>
V V V
This email and any attachments are intended solely for the use of the named recipients. If you are not the intended recipient you must not use, disclose, copy or distribute this email or any of its attachments and should notify the sender immediately and delete this email from your system. UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) has taken every reasonable precaution to minimise risk of this email or any attachments containing viruses or malware but the recipient should carry out its own virus and malware checks before opening the attachments. UKRI does not accept any liability for any losses or damages which the recipient may sustain due to presence of any viruses. Opinions, conclusions or other information in this message and attachments that are not related directly to UKRI business are solely those of the author and do not represent the views of UKRI.
_______________________________________________
Nhcoll-l mailing list
Nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu<mailto:Nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu>
https://mailman.yale.edu/mailman/listinfo/nhcoll-l
_______________________________________________
NHCOLL-L is brought to you by the Society for the Preservation of
Natural History Collections (SPNHC), an international society whose
mission is to improve the preservation, conservation and management of
natural history collections to ensure their continuing value to
society. See http://www.spnhc.org<http://www.spnhc.org/> for membership information.
Advertising on NH-COLL-L is inappropriate.
--
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Derek S. Sikes, Curator of Insects
Professor of Entomology
University of Alaska Museum
University of Alaska Fairbanks
1962 Yukon Drive
Fairbanks, AK 99775-6960
dssikes at alaska.edu<mailto:dssikes at alaska.edu>
phone: 907-474-6278
FAX: 907-474-5469
he/him/his
University of Alaska Museum - search 400,276 digitized arthropod records
http://arctos.database.museum/uam_ento_all<http://www.uaf.edu/museum/collections/ento/>
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Interested in Alaskan Entomology? Join the Alaska Entomological
Society and / or sign up for the email listserv "Alaska Entomological Network" at
http://www.akentsoc.org/contact_us
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman.yale.edu/pipermail/nhcoll-l/attachments/20210122/1af1c0d6/attachment.html>
More information about the Nhcoll-l
mailing list