Atlas of Living Australia

Review of Online and Desktop Tools

John Tann and Paul Flemons

This is a review of available software tools that could be used to support the Atlas of Living Australia. 

These software tools include both desktop and online applications, and searchable databases. 

This is not an exhaustive list. Further tools can be added through this wiki.

In preparing this review we have investigated the following significant areas for appropriate tools:

• Data cleaning, validation and manipulation – eg spelling, misnaming, georeferencing, validation
• Visualisation – eg maps, graphs, images, tables etc
• Georeferencing – eg gazetteers
• Data analysis – eg environmental niche modelling; survey gap analysis
• Data Capture (of non-electronic data) – eg literature, digitisation of specimen data
• Taxonomy – eg identification
• Name resolution – eg name servers
• Provider interaction – eg building and preparing datasets, accepting feedback, communication
• Metadata – eg creation, collating, data discovery
• Non-biological data – eg environmental data such as GIS layers, site specific data
• Bibliography – references
• Feedback – eg for errors, additions, alterations, quality
• User interface – personal or institutional, visual presentation or raw data, portable devices

Tools for database interaction were not investigated as part of the review, as these were considered to be intrinsic to the system architecture, a feature not yet determined. This included access protocols, data formats, metadata standards, and data exchange schema.

The tools reviewed will interact with the ALA in a variety of ways. There are examples of software tools that can be used as stand-alone applications, virtually independent of ALA architecture. Other tools lie firmly embedded inside other applications or websites, examples of potential for the ALA; or may possibly be able to be adapted specifically for the ALA. Many databases reviewed offer access to the public through a personal front-end. These databases may better benefit the ALA by a direct interaction, machine to machine. Other tools, such as desktop modelling tools, may use the ALA only as a vast source of data.

Comments on any of the tools reviewed here are encouraged. Personal experience, concerns, criticisms, difficulties, and comparisons can be extremely helpful.

Add a suggestion for a new tool ...