No specimen left behind: industrial scale digitization of natural history collections

By

Blagoderov, Vladimir Aleksandrovich 1968-
Kitching, Ian
Livermore, Laurence
Simonsen, Thomas
Smith, Vincent

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2012

Original Publication

ZooKeys

Volume

209

Pages

133-146

Subjects

biodiversity informatics , Digitization , imaging , Natural history collections , specimen metadata

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.209.3178

 

Abstract

Traditional approaches for digitizing natural history collections, which include both imaging and metadata capture, are both labour- and time-intensive. Mass-digitization can only be completed if the resource-intensive steps, such as specimen selection and databasing of associated information, are minimized. Digitization of larger collections should employ an “industrial” approach, using the principles of automation and crowd sourcing, with minimal initial metadata collection including a mandatory persistent identifier. A new workflow for the mass-digitization of natural history museum collections based on these principles, and using SatScan® tray scanning system, is described.