Talk:Biology

Data types and templates
We host a wide array of biological data sets. Here are some examples and templates. Please use them when preparing your data and first read: Data submission. The following summarizes how to use the templates for biological data collected in the field or laboratory. Please note the following:
 * In addition to the biological data, the georeferenced contextual data such as conductivity, temperature and depth data (CTD), pH value, humidity, etc. should also be submitted to and archived at PANGAEA. If these data are archived and available in open access somewhere else, please provide the DOI link in the references box of the web submission form.
 * The PANGAEA record should be understandable in itself, i.e. a potential user of the data should be able to judge quality and suitability for reuse. Thus, the record should be rich in metadata.
 * The title(s), abstract(s) and keywords will need to be pasted into the web interface.
 * For a complete data submission, upload all of the three tables included in the templates, i.e. the events, parameters and data tables.

Field observations/biodiversity
Template

Field observations: Data are either directly collected in the field, or organisms are collected and preserved (e.g. frozen) for later analysis in the laboratory. E.g. determining the abundance of species in space and time.

Examples:
 * https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.911931
 * https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.917698

Field experiments (including e.g. mesocosm studies)
Template

Field experiments are in situ studies which compare effects on organisms subjected to different treatments in their natural habitat or in conditions resembling their natural habitats. Conditions are partially controlled, the treatments are set up by researchers. E.g. determining growth in different microhabitats.

Example:
 * https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.910350

Laboratory experiments (including e.g. ship-based experiments)
Template

Laboratory experiments are (comparative) studies on organisms under controlled conditions set up in a land-based or ship-based laboratory. E.g. behaviour of fish larvae in response to different treatments of CO2 partial pressure.

Examples:
 * https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.874856
 * https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.924440

Molecular biology
Example with links to accession numbers:
 * https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.923271

Metadata – Abstract

 * The abstract/description of a dataset is NOT identical to the manuscript/article abstract, please read: Abstract.
 * Each submitted data table requires one abstract, even if data tables are organized in a bundled publication with a parent record.
 * Specify whether data were collected during a field campaign, a field experiment or a land-based or ship-based laboratory experiment, name the laboratory.
 * For laboratory experiments on cultured organisms, name the culture collection, where cultured, how long until used for experiment (time, no. of generations), and include the culture conditions before and during the experiment.
 * For laboratory experiments on field-collected organisms, include the collection site, where kept and how long until used for the experiment, specify the culture conditions before and during the experiment.
 * For experimental data from an in situ/field study, give details about the experiment site and conditions before and during the experiment.
 * For data collected directly in the field, characterize the conditions in the field.

Metadata – Keywords
Include suitable keywords, such as:
 * “Field observation”
 * “Field experiment”
 * “Mesocosm”
 * “Laboratory experiment”
 * “Cultured organism”
 * “Field-collected organism”
 * “Ship-based”
 * “Land-based”
 * “Mobile laboratory”
 * Collection/experiment site
 * Name of laboratory or ship

Metadata – Events table
This table gives an overview of the when, where and how of sample or (experimental) organism collection, please see the template and read: Event.
 * Event label, unique identifier of sampling time and location.
 * Campaign, e.g. ship cruise ID, please read: Campaign
 * Device or method used to collect a sample or (experimental) organism, please read: Method
 * For field experiments: Device is e.g. “Field experiment” or “Mesocosm experiment (MESO)”.
 * Date and time in ISO-format (e.g. 1954-04-07T13:34:11) as coordinated universal time (UTC), start and end date/time must be provided in separate columns.
 * Latitude and longitude in decimal degrees (S and W are negative) of sample/organism collection site or field experiment site. For transects, start and end latitude and longitude must be provided in separate columns.
 * Elevation (or bottom depth, negative below sea level) is optional. For transects, start and end elevation must be provided in separate columns.

Metadata – Parameter table
This table summarizes all the parameters included in the data table, specifies units, principal investigator(s) and the methods used to generate the data, please see the template
 * Parameter name of the measured or determined characteristic needs to be given in full, not as abbreviation.
 * The parameter name may include the species name, e.g. “Mytilus edulis, wet mass“.
 * The parameter name should specify when data are from an experiment, e.g. “DEPTH, water, experiment”, “Temperature, air, experiment”, “Treatment: NaCl”.
 * Unit, SI units are preferred
 * Principal investigator, i.e. the person responsible for the collected data can be different for each parameter.
 * Method or device used to collect the data: Give instrument name and manufacturer.
 * Current list of parameters used in PANGAEA

Data table

 * Only one (1) parameter per column, as given in the parameter table, please see the template.
 * The column header contains the full parameter name and unit in squared brackets.
 * If data are missing, leave the cell empty (do NOT enter „NA“ or „-“ etc.).
 * Abbreviations should be avoided or need to be explained.
 * Spell-check all taxon omic terms, e.g. by using the taxon match tools by WoRMS or LifeWatch.
 * Event label (always first column) must correspond to the entries in the events table, see Event.
 * Includes date/time of observation or experiment. Start and end date/time must be provided in separate columns.
 * For field observations and field experiments, include latitude and longitude. For transects, start and end latitude and longitude must be provided in separate columns.
 * For field observations and field experiments, depth should be included (e.g. parameters “Depth, water”, “Depth, sediment”), even if all observations are from the surface (value = 0). When data are from a depth range, minimum and maximum depths must be provided in separate columns.
 * For experiments, include the column "Type", and enter e.g. "laboratory experiment" or "field experiment" as values, even if all data are from the same type of study.
 * For experiments, use the experiment parameters “Date of experiment”, “Time of organism in laboratory”, “Name of laboratory”.
 * For studies on cultured organisms include “Culture location”, “Name of culture collection” and “Uniform resource locator/link to reference” for a link to the culture collection.
 * Include the column "Species", even if only one species was studied, and “Uniform resource locator/link to reference” for WoRMS species Aphia IDs.
 * For genetic data, include the column "Accession number, genetics", and enter e.g. NCBI/ENA accession numbers as values.