Vincent S. SmithSimon D. Rycroft, Ben Scott & Dave Roberts

Scratchpads“redefining publication”

“getting biodiversity online”

European DistributedInstitute of Taxonomy

27 Leading Taxonomic Institutions- Europe, North America and Russia - 5-year, EU funded, €11.5 million- Network in taxonomy & biodiversity research

Capacity Building - Integrating infrastructures & goals- “Labs without walls”- Training & outreach activities

NHM Providing Leadership- Developing Web infrastructure- Providing depth of knowledge & content- Integration beyond EDIT

What is a Scratchpad?

Your data1

Published & reviewedon your site

3Uploaded &

tagged

2

“Small pieces, loosely joined”

What is a Scratchpad?

Your data1

Published & reviewedon your site

3Uploaded &

tagged

2

Fast Intuitive Fit for use

“Small pieces, loosely joined”

What can Scratchpads do?Import, manage, search & browse:

DNA & Phylogenies

Specimens

Literature Images

What can Scratchpads do?Integration & connectivity within & between sites

DNA & Phylogenies

Specimens

Literature ImagesTaxonomy

What can Scratchpads do?Instantly build a site & curate the Web

Google scholar, Yahoo! Images, BHL, NCBI sequences, GBIF maps (species page templates to integrate user data with quality information on the wider Web)

Panels

What can Scratchpads do?Instantly build a site & curate the Web

Google scholar, Yahoo! Images, BHL, NCBI sequences, GBIF maps (species page templates to integrate user data with quality information on the wider Web)

Panels

Scratchpad applications

4th Edition Howard & Moore, Birds of the world(fact checking, data compilation, 2010, funding)

A multipurpose, flexible technology

eBooks

Scratchpad applications

European Mosquito Bulletin (ISSN 1460-6127), Phasmid Studies (ISSN 0966-0011)(submission, review, & dissemination of articles)

A multipurpose, flexible technology

eJournals

Scratchpad applications

Image galleries

A multipurpose, flexible technology

Nanno fossils, Cockroaches, Stick insects, Flatworms, Grasses, Lichens & many more… (rapid upload, annotation, & display of images)

ZOOTAXAA rapid international journal for animal taxonomistsISSN 1175-5326 (Print Edition) & ISSN 1175-5334 (Online Edition)

Scratchpad applicationsA multipurpose, flexible technology

GBIF, Zootaxa, Threatened Plants of the World (Kew), BarCoVer (DNA Barcoding) & more (space for data collection, services, discussion, & organization)

Societies & Organizations

Scratchpad usageContent & contributors in the first year

102,000 pages, 237 contributors

Jan. 24 2008

Scratchpad usageContent & contributors in the first year

112,000 pages, 504 contributors

Feb. 29 2008

Scratchpad usageContent & contributors in the first year

Pages:- Growth of 10% in Feb. 08 - Across 57 sites (up from 53 in Jan. 08)

- In detail:• Definitions (47%)• References (19%)• Associations (10%)• DNA sequences (7%)

• Images (3.5%)• Maps (3.3%)• Specimens (2.4%)• Others (7.8%)

112,000 pages, 504 contributors

Feb. 29 2008

Scratchpad usageContent & contributors in the first year

Contributors:- Growth of 112% in Feb. 08 (half via ZooTaxa)

- Contributors in more than 30 countries- In detail:

• Europe (55%)• Unknown (29%)• North America (9%)• Asia (3%)

• Australasia (2.5%)• South America (2%)• Russia (0.8%)• Middle East (0.4%) [Jan. 08]

112,000 pages, 504 contributors

Feb. 29 2008

Scratchpad visitorsTracking visitors across sites

Jan. 29 2008 - Feb.28 2008

Scratchpad visitorsPopular content: what visitors are looking at

The “long tail” of taxonomy

Visitors want less of more, i.e. everyone wants something different

Scratchpad visitorsVisitor statistics

Scratchpad managementScalable & sustainable technology

Virtual machine, open-source software, self-archiving, backed-up, multi-site configuration(easy to move & upgrade, secure & reliable, citable, screencasts, low admin., low marginal costs)

Hardware, software & user support

Scratchpad prospectsFuture development work

Functionality (more data types)- Ecological Interactions- Conservation actions (IUCN Red list)- Improved phylogeny management

Integration (more interaction)- Encyclopedia of Life (Workbench)- More Panels (CBoL, IUCN, Plazi/ZooTaxa)- New gateway & mirror core

Potential (long-term directions)- Grant income generation (>€10m in new grants)- Bibliometrics / Webometrics- Use beyond biodiversity science

Thanks…

Simon Rycroft Ben Scott Dave Roberts

Questions?

Impact(Web equivalent to journal impact

factor & personal H-index)

Scratchpad bibliometricsMetrics of output and use

112,000 pages

504 contributors

Content Usage

Scratchpad visitorsKeywords: how visitors find the sites

Scratchpad managementScalable & sustainable technology

Online signup form, terms-of-use, auto. site creation, taskguide, screen-casts, sandbox(easy to get, legal, fast to create, intuitive to use, audio-video assistance, test-drive features)

Signup & user support