Reports : Palaeo-databases

Discussion Group : Desired uses of the palaeodatabase

Primarily palynologists - agreed that other users were likely to want syntheses e.g. vegetation maps, so their requests would be filtered through a palynologist - but is this true?
Need to find out if other user groups exist. and what they might need.
Also saw no clear distinction between data contributors and takers-out of data.
Some of us think we should consult other user communities...
...and communicate with other communities AT THIS STAGE

A database that works and works soon!
That data is easy to get in and easy to get out
That all data is .good quality. (who defines it? See later)
That people are happy to submit their data
That the database contains as much data as possible
That people are confident about the protocols and abide by them
That the database helps build a stronger palynological community in Europe
Maybe that supervisors/data owners (e.g. funding councils, universities) can encourage/require that data be deposited? (E.g. gene sequencing model: databasing a requirement to publish)

Quick and dirty. data visualisations e.g. time-slice, taxon comparison.
Attractive for outreach/teaching
Mailing list
personal record page so can see who has accessed data?
Version numbers for d.base so can cite better
Chat spaces - fora
Want to see results of larger analyses returned to the database (or announced via the e-mail group)
Having at least the basic information available in languages in addition to English
Want to see restricted data option used to include unpublished stuff like Master.s theses and to show dots for work in progress
Have classes of dots - some have full data behind them, others only minimal metadata, others metadata and a pdf of the unpublished diagram (e.g. from thesis) - model: Irish PD, SPAD
- Value of metadata-dots for encouraging multi-proxy studies on existing cores
- Meta-data goes up at the start of a project.
Maybe have this as a user-only space?

Download entire database
Download individual sites
Search like APD by country, age range etc. - also minimum count #, # dates available, bulk or ams etc.
Maybe want only .top layer data. - complete sets, which should be timeless
Maybe want to know what.s going on now - dynamic. Should feed into timeless archive - needs attention and curation
Ability to download all references for sites accessed - cite as appendix online in journal if not in bibliog.
Download prepared summary/summaries of some sort (e.g. from published synthetic studies, summary data in a common format. pre-digested data)

A more interactive database
Sediment stratigraphy, site type
Should there be a bare minimum needed to make the data of any use (location??). Have to establish metadata minimum standards (what about GPD minimum standards?) - job for working group
How much can the database store? (In the wish list size is not an issue!)
- Pictures of site
- Pictures of cores
- Pdfs of papers particularly older ones (harder to find and easier legally?) and maybe metadata (even count sheets?)
Option to produce diagram in exactly the form (sum, age model, organisation) used in the original publication
Output age-depth model as plot, plus information on calibration curve used, reservoir corrections etc.
Option to add text description about choices made in analysis (e.g. purpose of study)
What about non-diagrammed data, e.g. vast volumes generated by archaeological palynologists as screenings, on-site contexts etc.

Getting data in needs to be EASY - e.g. upload to web option, easy format, choice of formats?
Use of restricted option - with some (automatic?) reminders about whether they want to upload more data and/or change the restriction - to generate a discussion
Need to PUBLICISE restricted option and agreement:
- Display in multiple European languages (especially for the .sparse areas.)
- Put messages into bulletins of national palynological societies

Importance of a curatorial role (committee?) as well as a technical role
Have to trust each other - and supervisors for student work - to control quality at the microscope level the data INPUT is the database.s business:
- checking existing data at simple level by reviewing all diagrams - working group rather than just one person, leading to some kind of group publication both on and off line (e.g. Huntley and Birks style maps, NAPD style animations),
- author checking
the quality of the science done with the data - peer review process
responsibility of USER to screen data themselves and make judgements if appropriate. Would be helped by:
- ability to screen data easily e.g. select for what control steps have been taken, by count size etc.
- better metadata e.g. on stratigraphy