Re: Survey for web registry of unique identifiers
Date: Thu, 29 Jul 1999 17:33:29 -0400
To: ashe@falcon.cc.ukans.edu, Chuck_Parker@nps.gov
From: pick@pick.uga.edu (John Pickering)
Subject: Re: Survey for web registry of unique identifiers
Cc: sackley@compuserve.com, ashe@falcon.cc.ukans.edu, ksem@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu,
brianb@mizar.usc.edu, colwell@uconnvm.uconn.edu,
Gladys_Cotter@usgs.gov, christine.deal@intermec.com,
faulzeitler@ascoll.org, mark_fornwall@usgs.gov,
Furth.David@NMNH.SI.EDU, whallwac@sas.upenn.edu, djanzen@sas.upenn.edu,
Johnson.2@osu.edu, mkaspari@ou.edu, longinoj@elwha.evergreen.edu,
scottm@bishop.bishop.hawaii.org, becky_nichols@nps.gov,
Chuck_Parker@nps.gov, msharkey@byron.ca.uky.edu, ctemple@intermec.com,
cthompso@sel.barc.usda.gov, jugalde@inbio.ac.cr,
pin93001@uconnvm.uconn.edu, windsord@tivoli.si.edu, dl@pick.uga.edu,
idg@nhm.ac.uk, KPerry@intermec.com, pick@pick.uga.edu,
mzumbado@inbio.ac.cr
Chuck & Steve,
Thanks for such quick responses to the preliminary survey. I've started
the list of unique identifiers that are in use. Link to it through
<www.discoverlife.org/sc/ui>. Currently, SM and UGCA are its only entries!
The URL at the Bishop Museum, that Chuck suggested that we check out, is an
updated and on-line version of Arnett and Samuelson's "Insect and Spider
Collections of the World." While this will certainly help us build a
registry of unique identifiers, it is not complete enough to meet our
needs. It's focused on insect collections and does not include all taxa as
we must. Similarly, the database of herbaria maintained by the NY Bot
Garden <www.nybg.org/bci/ih> needs to be considered in assigning
institutional identifiers. At the Bishop's URL, I had problems with most
of the identifiers that we're using on barcodes: "SM, UGCA, USDA SEL,
INBIO" all had problems with links or aren't listed. Only "LACM" but not
"LACM ENT" worked.
We need to develop a mechanism to merge current indentifiers across
institutions, projects and taxa and to assign new ones. I think the place
to start is by building a registry of the codes that are in use, giving
precedence to (1) existing labels, then (2) published acronyms, and
finally, (3) who registers first. Our goal is to stop the same "unique"
identifiers being put on physical labels more than once. A simple concept,
but clearly not an easy task. We have some work cut out for us.
Cheers,
Pick
_________________________________________________________
John Pickering
Institute of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602-2602
Office: 706-542-1115 Messages: 706-542-3379
Laboratory: 706-542-1388 FAX: 706-542-3344
e-mail: pick@pick.uga.edu Home: 706-353-7076
Web sites: <www.discoverlife.org> <http://dial.pick.uga.edu>
_________________________________________________________
| Discover Life in America | Science | Unique Identifiers & Barcodes | Correspondence | John Pickering - 29 July, 1999 |