D2.1 Inventory of criteria for prioritization of digitisation of collections focussed on scientific and societal needs

Abstract

Anno 2018, the task of mobilizing data from natural history collections ahead of us is still enormous as 90% of these collections still needs to be mobilized. It is imperative for stakeholders, individual keepers of natural science collections, the community at large, and even for funding agencies, not only to tackle this backlog as quickly as possible, but to do it in the best possible order. To establish the mechanisms to prioritize the digitization of natural history collections, a demand driven framework is required based on, among others, criteria used to digitize collections. In this study, information available from previous surveys and studies was brought together into a comprehensive list of criteria used forprioritizing digitization of natural history collections. Criteria in the list were uniquified, where possible combined, categorized and finally included in a survey aimed at verifying and eliciting further comments. Results of the survey indicated that regardless of the role of respondents, size of the collection or kind of institute, scientific criteria are the most highly rated criteria used for prioritizing digitization of natural history collections. This is especially true for criteria linked to stimulating both fundamental research and research focused on understanding biodiversity processes and trends, and enhancing access to primary biodiversity data. Three methods are discussed that can be used to reach decisions regarding practical aspects of digitization (is it feasible?) and the order in which (parts of) the collection is digitized (where do we start?). For the former a decision tree based on a multivariate key is proposed, while for the latter a scoring method or panel review may be more suitable. If economic, scientific and social relevance are to be taken into account, a panel consisting of biodiversity scientists from various fields would offer the best guarantee for a well-informed decision-making process in relation to prioritization of digitization of natural history collections. It is important to set a clear international digital (research) agenda which can serve as a guideline within DiSSCo to determine what to prioritize in terms of digitization of collections specimens in more detail