As identified by the DWC Terms to Specify spreadsheet, there are a few major terms missing from the default database schema that must be resolved.
These should be hidden by default, unless otherwise noted. In new disciplines going forward (with new schemas), the visibility will need to be based on the defaults for each discipline combined with the generic defaults.
Collecting Object
| Schema Field Name |
Field Description |
Specify Field Type |
DwC Term IRI |
Database Field Name |
| Disposition |
The verbatim state of an object with respect to the collection. Examples: "in collection", "missing", "voucher elsewhere". |
text |
dwc:disposition |
disposition |
| Establishment Means |
Provides information about whether an organism or organisms have been introduced to a given place and time through the direct or indirect activity of modern humans. |
text |
dwc:establishmentMeans |
establishmentMeans |
Pick Lists
- Assign to the
collectingevent.establishmentMeans field (source):
- Field Name: Establishment Means
- Pick List Type: Read-only
- Pick List Limit:
7
- Pick List Items:
native (indigenous)
native: reintroduced
introduced (alien, exotic, non-native, nonindigenous)
introduced: assisted colonisation
vagrant (casual)
uncertain (unknown, cryptogenic)
native: endemic
Collecting Object Attribute
| Schema Field Name |
Field Description |
Specify Field Type |
DwC Term IRI |
Database Field Name |
| LifeStage |
The age class or life stage of the organism at the time the occurrence was recorded. |
text |
dwc:lifeStage |
lifeStage |
| Sex |
The sex of the biological individual(s) represented in the occurrence. |
text |
dwc:sex |
sex |
Pick Lists
The LifeStage and Sex pick lists vary by discipline. Defaults are created in the picklists.json under each. These are currently assigned to text1 and text2 in most disciplines, but we should change defaults to assign this to the new, sensible, default fields for the long term.
- Assign to the
collectionobjectattribute.LifeStage field:
- Assign to the
collectionobjectattribute.Sex field
Collecting Event
| Schema Field Name |
Field Description |
Specify Field Type |
DwC Term IRI |
Database Field Name |
| Associated Taxa |
A list of taxa associated with this occurrence (e.g., host, parasite, or habitat associate). Best practice is to separate values with a pipe. |
text |
dwc:associatedTaxa |
associatedTaxa |
| Habitat |
A category or description of the habitat in which the Event occurred. |
text |
dwc:habitat |
habitat |
| Event Type |
The nature of the event (e.g., "survey", "opportunistic"). |
text |
dc:type |
eventType |
Pick Lists
- Assign to the
collectingevent.eventType field:
- Field Name: Event Type
- Description: The nature of the event.
- Pick List Type: User-editable
- Pick List Limit:
10
- Pick List Items:
Sample
Observation
Site Visit
Biotic Interaction
Expedition
Survey
Project
Collection
| Schema Field Name |
Field Description |
Specify Field Type |
DwC Term IRI |
Database Field Name |
| Basis Of Record |
The specific nature of the data record. Recommended best practice is to use a controlled vocabulary such as the set of local names of the identifiers for classes in Darwin Core. |
text |
dwc:basisOfRecord |
basisOfRecord |
This field should be made visible on the default forms and in the schema.
Pick Lists
- Assign to the
collection.basisOfRecord field:
- Name: BasisOfRecord
- Description: The nature or genre of the resource.
- The default form for the collection should require a value to be set for
basisOfRecord for collections that already exist, but for new collections it should be part of the guided setup process. Most will use PreservedSpecimen, so that is a sensible default.
- Pick List Type: Read-only, system
- Pick List Limit:
11
- Pick List Items:
- MaterialEntity
- PreservedSpecimen
- FossilSpecimen
- LivingSpecimen
- MaterialSample
- Event
- HumanObservation
- MachineObservation
- Taxon
- Occurrence
- MaterialCitation
Institution
These fields should be visible on the default form and in the schema.
| Schema Field Name |
Field Description |
Specify Field Type |
DwC Term IRI |
Database Field Name |
| License |
A legal document giving official permission to do something with the resource. Recommended best practice is to identify the license using a URI (e.g. http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/). |
Text (URL) |
dc:license |
license |
| Dataset Name |
The name identifying the data set from which the record was derived. |
text |
dwc:datasetName |
datasetName |
| Rights Holder |
A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. |
text |
dc:rightsHolder |
rightsHolder |
Pick Lists
-
Assign to theinstitution.license field:
| License Name |
License URI |
Description (for documentation) |
| Public Domain (CC0 1.0) |
http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/ |
No rights reserved. You can copy, modify, distribute and perform the work, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. |
| Attribution (CC BY 4.0) |
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use. |
| Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) |
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ |
You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may not use the material for commercial purposes. |
For the pick list, we'd need to make the license URI both the value and the title. The description will be useful for documentation going forward.
Locality
| Schema Field Name |
Field Description |
Specify Field Type |
DwC Term IRI |
Database Field Name |
| Coordinate Precision |
A decimal representation of the precision of the coordinates given in the Decimal Latitude and Decimal Longitude. |
text |
dwc:coordinatePrecision |
coordinatePrecision |
| Verbatim Coordinates |
The verbatim original spatial coordinates of the Location. The coordinate ellipsoid, geodeticDatum, or full Spatial Reference System (SRS) for these coordinates should be stored in Verbatim SRS and the coordinate system should be stored in Verbatim Coordinate System. |
text |
dwc:verbatimCoordinates |
verbatimCoordinates |
| Verbatim SRS |
The ellipsoid, geodetic datum, or spatial reference system (SRS) upon which coordinates given in Verbatim Coordinates are based. Recommended best practice is use the EPSG code. |
text |
dwc:verbatimSRS |
verbatimSRS |
| Location According To |
Information about the source of this Location information. Could be a publication (gazetteer), person's name, organization, etc. |
link to Agent |
dwc:locationAccordingTo |
locationAccordingTo |
| Footprint Spatial Fit |
The ratio of the area of the dwc:footprintWKT to the area of the true (original, or most specific) spatial representation of the dcterms:Location. Legal values are 0, greater than or equal to 1, or undefined. A value of 1 is an exact match or 100% overlap. A value of 0 should be used if the given dwc:footprintWKT does not completely contain the original representation. The dwc:footprintSpatialFit is undefined (and should be left empty) if the original representation is any geometry without area (e.g., a point or polyline) and without uncertainty and the given georeference is not that same geometry (without uncertainty). If both the original and the given georeference are the same point, the dwc:footprintSpatialFit is 1. |
decimal |
dwc:footprintSpatialFit |
footprintSpatialFit |
| Footprint SRS |
The ellipsoid, geodetic datum, or spatial reference system (SRS) upon which the geometry given in dwc:footprintWKT is based. |
text |
dwc:footprintSRS |
footprintSRS |
| Footprint WKT |
A Well-Known Text (WKT) representation of the shape (footprint, geometry) that defines the dcterms:Location. A dcterms:Location may have both a point-radius representation (see dwc:decimalLatitude) and a footprint representation, and they may differ from each other. |
text |
dwc:footprintWKT |
footprintWKT |
Locality Details
| Schema Field Name |
Field Description |
Specify Field Type |
DwC Term IRI |
Database Field Name |
| Verbatim Depth |
The original description of the depth below the local surface. |
text |
dwc:verbatimDepth |
verbatimDepth |
Determination
| Schema Field Name |
Field Description |
Specify Field Type |
DwC Term IRI |
Database Field Name |
| Identification Precision |
A categorical indicator of the extent to which the taxonomic identification has been verified to be correct. |
text |
dwc:identificationVerificationStatus |
identificationVerificationStatus |
Collection Object Attribute
| Schema Field Name |
Field Description |
Specify Field Type |
DwC Term IRI |
Database Field Name |
| Behavior |
A description of the behavior shown by the subject at the time the Occurrence was recorded. Recommended best practice is to use a controlled vocabulary. |
text |
dwc:behavior |
behavior |
Preparation
| Schema Field Name |
Field Description |
Specify Field Type |
DwC Term IRI |
Database Field Name |
| Disposition |
The verbatim state of an entity with respect to the collection. Examples: "in collection", "missing", "voucher elsewhere". |
text |
[dwc:disposition](https://dwc.tdwg.org/terms/# dwc:disposition) |
disposition |
Attachment
Pick Lists
- Assign to the
attachment.Type field:
- Field Name: Type
- Description: The nature or genre of the resource.
- Pick List Type: User-editable
- Pick List Limit:
-1 (no limit)
- Pick List Items:
StillImage
MovingImage
Sound
PhysicalObject
Event
Text