Knowledge Area

Knowledge Area

Welcome!

Welcome to the Knowledge Area of DiSSCo Transition (DTP), the place where you can find all the outputs from the project: workshops, demos, videos, publications, and more. 

Just scroll down to access the contents of the page. If you are not familiar with DiSSCo, scroll all the way down. We have some basics in there for you!

Problems? Additional info needed? Contact jose.alonso@naturlais.nl for assistance.

Latest addition!

DiSSCo Core Infrastructure workshop

Scroll down to access additional materials or go directly to the video clicking on the button below.

Knowledge Area

DiSSCo technical demos

This section hosts a series of videos-demonstration sessions by DiSSCo’s development team at Naturalis Biodiversity Center. The demos show progress in the development of DiSSCo’s data infrastructure and core services  but also other aspects of the technical infrastructure of DiSSCo RI.

DiSSCo RI demo sessions I (Feb 2024)

This first video offers an overview of what the team has been developing during the first two months of 2024: JSON schema’s exposed through schemas.dissco.tech; New version of openDS and annotations deployed on sandbox.dissco.tech; Deeper dive into Machine Annotation Service; Introduction of Machine Job Records; Development of generic taxonomic name resolution service, based on ChecklistBank data and GBIF matching algorithm; and more. 

DiSSCo RI demo sessions II (Apr 2024)

The second demo session focuses on the Minimum Viable Product of the Digital Specimen Data Infrastructure that needs to be delivered at the end of the DiSSCo Transition project. It goes through topics such as the work that has been done for DiSSCo in the BiCIKL project, the first DiSSCo minted DOI’s, infrastructural upgrades, and perspectives for the future.

DiSSCo RI demo sessions III (Jun 2024)

This third demonstration of the progress of Task 3.1 focusses on two main topics. The first topic is batch annotation. In a pre-recorded demo, Soulaine Theocharides explains why batch annotation is vital to the success of DiSSCo. In the second part of the demo, we went over some data model changes. One of the most important parts to get right before launching the MVP is getting the data models right. 

DiSSCo RI demo sessions IV (Aug 2024)

This video is the fourth one in the series of demonstration sessions by DiSSCo’s development team at Naturalis Biodiversity Center. It presents an update on implementation and Handle storage within the openDS data model, (which is being publicly reviewed at the time of this video’s publication). The video also provides an update on the DiSSCover annotation service interface. Finally, future steps for the next two months are also commented.

DiSSCo RI demo sessions V (Oct 2024)

This fifth demonstration of the progress of Task 3.1 focuses on some meaningful development that we have achieved with regard to the OpenDS data model, such as the FDO profiles, which have been updated to 1.0. We have also successfully ended the Open DS data model review, during which interesting feedback has been collected, and we have also implemented auto-accepted annotations when data is created/uploaded. These are but a few of the topics from the session. Watch now! 

Knowledge Area

DiSSCo Transition workshops

DiSSCo Transition plans to organise four workshops during the project’s lifecycle. The first will discuss the legal status of the Research Infrastructure, while the other three will address technical designs and prototypes from DiSSCo’s technical team.

Latimer Core Workshop

Presented by Laurence Livermore, Matt Woodburn and Ben Norton during the TDWG-SPNHC 2024 conference.

Description: This workshop gives an overview of the newly ratified Latimer Core (LtC) TDWG data standard for describing groups of objects in natural science collections. The workshop goes through Latimer Core and its different applications, providing worked examples and examples of pilots use cases at different institutions, including the capturing of collection descriptions data prior to collection moves, or as a first pass to allow discovery and documentation prior to specimen-level digitisation.

DiSSCo-CETAF

Registry Data Provision Workshop

Presented by Patrick Semal, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences

Description: The workshop gives an overview of the Specialisation Plan for DiSSCo and CETAF members and the necessary process to provide data on their institutions and to prepare data for publication to the CETAF Registry Collections Platform and, from there, be aggregated by the DiSSCo RI.

DiSSCo Transition workshop on Core Technical Infrastructure

Presented by Wouter Addink, Sam Leeflang (Naturalis Biodiversity Center) and Marko Lovric (CETAF)

Description: The workshop discusses the next steps in the development of the core infrastructure after the Minimum Viable Product has been completed. The current state of the MVP is demonstrated and options for further development outlined with backlog and use cases, after which an open discussion takes place

Knowledge Area

Videos and tutorials

PIDs, annotations, FAIR data… DiSSCo Transition deals with complex issues. The videos below will help you understand them and also some of DiSSCo’s main services and developments. Some of the videos demand previous knowledge of data-related concepts.

Knowledge Area

Articles and publications

DTP will publish all relevant papers in the DiSSCo collection at the Research Ideas and Outcomes (RIO) journal and other important publishers. Below you can also see a number of publications related to DiSSCo RI and some of the main concepts related to collection data and bioinformatics.

DiSSCo Transition Abridged Grant Proposal

This paper is an abridged version of the original proposal which was submitted in March 2023. It contains the overarching scientific case for DiSSCo Transition, alongside a description of the project’s  major activities.

Navigating taxonomic complexity: A use-case report on FAIR scientific name-matching service usage in ENVRI Research Infrastructures

This paper presents a use-case conducted within the ENVRI FAIR project, examining challenges and opportunities in deploying FAIR-aligned (ensuring Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability and Reusability) scientific name-matching services across Environmental Research Infrastructures (RIs). 

The genera Chrysilla and Phintelloides revisited with the description of a new species (Araneae, Salticidae) using digital specimen DOIs and nanopublications

First scientific publication using digital specimen DOIs.

For an acessible introductory piece about the relevance of digital specimen DOI, please go here.

For accessing the full text of the article (including a secion on DOIs) please, use the button below.

The key to bringing DNA collections to the next level

The DiSSCo Flanders DNA collection working group, aiming to advance and “unlock” their DNA collections, identified the need for: 1) actively sharing best practices regarding the management of DNA collections; and 2) providing guidance on how to bring theory into practice.

Knowledge Area

Other materials

Find below other outputs from DiSSCo Transition.

DiSSCo at SPNHC-TDWG 2024!

Download a simple pdf with all the DiSSCo-related sessions during the SPNHC-TDWG 2024 conference. It includes links to all the recordings.

Get the Basics

Understand DiSSCo!

If you are not familiar with DiSSCo, just give yourself ten minutes to watch our corporate video and take a look at our services brochure. That alone will give you an understanding of why DiSSCo RI is needed and which are the changes that it will bring about for scientific research.

The basic downloads

DiSSCo flyer 2024

DiSSCo’s services 2024