Digitisation / Cataloguing of non-textual objects: Development of a subject indexing system for collections of the north hemispherical flowering plant genus Campanula

• Applicants: Dr. Norbert Kilian; Professor Dr. Kai Müller
• Subject Area: Ecology and Biodiversity of Plants and Ecosystems
• Term: from 2012 to 2016
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 203244998

Subject indexing of collections plays a key role in biodiversity research. In an exemplary way a subject indexing system will be realised for collections of Campanula (bell flowers), which is one of the species-richest flowering plant genera. Based on existing software components of the EDIT Platform for Cybertaxonomy, the subject indexing system will combine three functionalities: data repository, editor and information portal. The integration of heterogeneous collection types (e.g. herbarium specimens, texts, images, primary data) is of particular significance. An annotation system will facilitate the subject indexing and the convenient generating and editing of metadata. The linkage of collection information will accelerate the research process, facilitate the reproducibility of results and at the same time enhance collections. The planned pilot project will profit from synergies with existing focal areas of research (Diversity of Europe and the Mediterranean area; Evolution and biodiversity of the flowering plant order Asterales) at the Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum Berlin-Dahlem (BGBM) as well as at the Dahlem Centre of Plant Sciences (DCPS). There, research data and materials are being produced or are already available in considerable quantities. The proposed subject indexing system for collections will be made available in a way that it provides an important contribution to the current establishment of the information infrastructure of national and international biodiversity research.

• DFG Programme: Cataloguing and Digitisation (Scientific Library Services and Information Systems)
• Participating Persons: Professor Dr. Thomas Borsch; Anton Güntsch