<pclass="lead">This page provides a list of all currently recommended terms of the Darwin Core standard and their definitions. Terms that begin with <code>dcterms:</code> are from the <ahref="http://dublincore.org/documents/dcmi-terms/">Dublin Core</a>. Categories correspond to Darwin Core classes (terms that have other terms to describe them). List of these terms in various formats can be found in <ahref="../resources">resources</a>.</p>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>The nature or genre of the resource. For Darwin Core, recommended best practice is to use the name of the class that defines the root of the record.</dd>
<dt>Comments</dt><dd>Examples: "StillImage", "MovingImage", "Sound", "PhysicalObject", "Event", "Text". For discussion see http://terms.tdwg.org/wiki/dwc:type</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>The most recent date-time on which the resource was changed. For Darwin Core, recommended best practice is to use an encoding scheme, such as ISO 8601:2004(E).</dd>
<dt>Comments</dt><dd>Examples: "1963-03-08T14:07-0600" is 8 Mar 1963 2:07pm in the time zone six hours earlier than UTC, "2009-02-20T08:40Z" is 20 Feb 2009 8:40am UTC, "1809-02-12" is 12 Feb 1809, "1906-06" is Jun 1906, "1971" is just that year, "2007-03-01T13:00:00Z/2008-05-11T15:30:00Z" is the interval between 1 Mar 2007 1pm UTC and 11 May 2008 3:30pm UTC, "2007-11-13/15" is the interval between 13 Nov 2007 and 15 Nov 2007. For discussion see http://terms.tdwg.org/wiki/dwc:modified</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>A legal document giving official permission to do something with the resource.</dd>
<dt>Comments</dt><dd>Examples: "http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/legalcode", "http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode". For discussion see http://terms.tdwg.org/wiki/dwc:license</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>Information about who can access the resource or an indication of its security status. Access Rights may include information regarding access or restrictions based on privacy, security, or other policies.</dd>
<dt>Comments</dt><dd>Example: "not-for-profit use only". For discussion see http://terms.tdwg.org/wiki/dwc:accessRights</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>A bibliographic reference for the resource as a statement indicating how this record should be cited (attributed) when used. Recommended practice is to include sufficient bibliographic detail to identify the resource as unambiguously as possible.</dd>
<dt>Comments</dt><dd>Examples: "Ctenomys sociabilis (MVZ 165861)" for a specimen, "Oliver P. Pearson. 1985. Los tuco-tucos (genera Ctenomys) de los Parques Nacionales Lanin y Nahuel Huapi, Argentina Historia Natural, 5(37):337-343." for a Taxon. For discussion see http://terms.tdwg.org/wiki/dwc:bibliographicCitation</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>A related resource that is referenced, cited, or otherwise pointed to by the described resource.</dd>
<dt>Comments</dt><dd>Examples: "http://mvzarctos.berkeley.edu/guid/MVZ:Mamm:165861"; "http://www.catalogueoflife.org/annual-checklist/show_species_details.php?record_id=6197868". For discussion see http://terms.tdwg.org/wiki/dwc:references</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>An identifier for the institution having custody of the object(s) or information referred to in the record.</dd>
<dt>Comments</dt><dd>For physical specimens, the recommended best practice is to use an identifier from a collections registry such as the Global Registry of Biodiversity Repositories (http://grbio.org/). Examples: "http://biocol.org/urn:lsid:biocol.org:col:34777", "http://grbio.org/cool/km06-gtbn".</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>An identifier for the collection or dataset from which the record was derived.</dd>
<dt>Comments</dt><dd>For physical specimens, the recommended best practice is to use an identifier from a collections registry such as the Global Registry of Biodiversity Repositories (http://grbio.org/). Examples: "http://biocol.org/urn:lsid:biocol.org:col:1001", "http://grbio.org/cool/p5fp-c036".</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>An identifier for the set of data. May be a global unique identifier or an identifier specific to a collection or institution.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>The name (or acronym) in use by the institution having ownership of the object(s) or information referred to in the record.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>The specific nature of the data record.</dd>
<dt>Comments</dt><dd>Recommended best practice is to use a controlled vocabulary such as the list of Darwin Core classes. Examples: "PreservedSpecimen", "FossilSpecimen", "LivingSpecimen", "HumanObservation", "MachineObservation"</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>Additional information that exists, but that has not been shared in the given record.</dd>
<dt>Comments</dt><dd>Examples: "location information not given for endangered species", "collector identities withheld", "ask about tissue samples"</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>Actions taken to make the shared data less specific or complete than in its original form. Suggests that alternative data of higher quality may be available on request.</dd>
<dt>Comments</dt><dd>Example: "Coordinates generalized from original GPS coordinates to the nearest half degree grid cell"</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>A list of additional measurements, facts, characteristics, or assertions about the record. Meant to provide a mechanism for structured content.</dd>
<dt>Comments</dt><dd>The recommended best practice is to use a key:value encoding schema such as JSON. Examples: "{"heightInMeters":1.5}", "{"tragusLengthInMeters":0.014, "weightInGrams":120}", "{"natureOfID":"expert identification", "identificationEvidence":"cytochrome B sequence"}", "{"relativeHumidity":28, "airTemperatureInCelcius":22, "sampleSizeInKilograms":10}", "{"aspectHeading":277, "slopeInDegrees":6}", "{"iucnStatus":"vulnerable", "taxonDistribution":"Neuquén, Argentina"}".</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>An existence of an Organism (sensu http://rs.tdwg.org/dwc/terms/Organism) at a particular place at a particular time.</dd>
<dt>Comments</dt><dd>Examples: A wolf pack on the shore of Kluane Lake in 1988. A virus in a plant leaf in a the New York Botanical Garden at 15:29 on 2014-10-23. A fungus in Central Park in the summer of 1929.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>An identifier for the Occurrence (as opposed to a particular digital record of the occurrence). In the absence of a persistent global unique identifier, construct one from a combination of identifiers in the record that will most closely make the occurrenceID globally unique.</dd>
<dt>Comments</dt><dd>For a specimen in the absence of a bona fide global unique identifier, for example, use the form: "urn:catalog:[institutionCode]:[collectionCode]:[catalogNumber]. Examples: "urn:lsid:nhm.ku.edu:Herps:32", "urn:catalog:FMNH:Mammal:145732"</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>An identifier given to the Occurrence at the time it was recorded. Often serves as a link between field notes and an Occurrence record, such as a specimen collector's number.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>A list (concatenated and separated) of names of people, groups, or organizations responsible for recording the original Occurrence. The primary collector or observer, especially one who applies a personal identifier (recordNumber), should be listed first.</dd>
<dt>Comments</dt><dd>The recommended best practice is to separate the values with a vertical bar (' | '). The primary collector or observer, especially one who applies a personal identifier (recordNumber), should be listed first. Examples: "José E. Crespo", "Oliver P. Pearson | Anita K. Pearson" where the value in recordNumber "OPP 7101" corresponds to the number for the specimen in the field catalog (collector number) of Oliver P. Pearson.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>A number or enumeration value for the quantity of organisms.</dd>
<dt>Comments</dt><dd>An organismQuantity must have a corresponding organismQuantityType, e.g., "27" for organismQuantity with "individuals" for organismQuantityType; "12.5" for organismQuantity with "%biomass" for organismQuantityType; "r" for organismQuantity with "BraunBlanquetScale" for organismQuantityType.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>The type of quantification system used for the quantity of organisms.</dd>
<dt>Comments</dt><dd>An organismQuantityType must have a corresponding organismQuantity, e.g., "27" for organismQuantity with "individuals" for organismQuantityType; "12.5" for organismQuantity with "%biomass" for organismQuantityType; "r" for organismQuantity with "BraunBlanquetScale" for organismQuantityType.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>The sex of the biological individual(s) represented in the Occurrence. Recommended best practice is to use a controlled vocabulary.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>The age class or life stage of the biological individual(s) at the time the Occurrence was recorded. Recommended best practice is to use a controlled vocabulary.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>The reproductive condition of the biological individual(s) represented in the Occurrence. Recommended best practice is to use a controlled vocabulary.</dd>
<dt>Comments</dt><dd>Examples" "non-reproductive", "pregnant", "in bloom", "fruit-bearing"</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>A description of the behavior shown by the subject at the time the Occurrence was recorded. Recommended best practice is to use a controlled vocabulary.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>The process by which the biological individual(s) represented in the Occurrence became established at the location. Recommended best practice is to use a controlled vocabulary.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>A statement about the presence or absence of a Taxon at a Location. Recommended best practice is to use a controlled vocabulary.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>A list (concatenated and separated) of preparations and preservation methods for a specimen.</dd>
<dt>Comments</dt><dd>The recommended best practice is to separate the values with a vertical bar (' | '). Examples: "fossil", "cast", "photograph", "DNA extract", "skin | "skull | skeleton", "whole animal (ETOH) | tissue (EDTA)".</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>The current state of a specimen with respect to the collection identified in collectionCode or collectionID. Recommended best practice is to use a controlled vocabulary.</dd>
<dt>Comments</dt><dd>Examples: "in collection", "missing", "voucher elsewhere", "duplicates elsewhere"</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>A list (concatenated and separated) of identifiers (publication, global unique identifier, URI) of media associated with the Occurrence.</dd>
<dt>Comments</dt><dd>The recommended best practice is to separate the values with a vertical bar (' | '). Examples: "http://arctos.database.museum/SpecimenImages/UAMObs/Mamm/2/P7291179.JPG", "http://204.140.246.24/Fish/Collection%20Pictures/10118-00.jpg | http://204.140.246.24/Fish/Collection%20Pictures/10118-00a.jpg".</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>A list (concatenated and separated) of identifiers (publication, bibliographic reference, global unique identifier, URI) of literature associated with the Occurrence.</dd>
<dt>Comments</dt><dd>The recommended best practice is to separate the values with a vertical bar (' | '). Examples: "http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/322/5899/261", "Christopher J. Conroy, Jennifer L. Neuwald. 2008. Phylogeographic study of the California vole, Microtus californicus Journal of Mammalogy, 89(3):755-767.", "Steven R. Hoofer and Ronald A. Van Den Bussche. 2001. Phylogenetic Relationships of Plecotine Bats and Allies Based on Mitochondrial Ribosomal Sequences. Journal of Mammalogy 82(1):131-137. | Walker, Faith M., Jeffrey T. Foster, Kevin P. Drees, Carol L. Chambers. 2014. Spotted bat (Euderma maculatum) microsatellite discovery using illumina sequencing. Conservation Genetics Resources.".</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>A list (concatenated and separated) of identifiers (publication, global unique identifier, URI) of genetic sequence information associated with the Occurrence.</dd>
<dt>Comments</dt><dd>The recommended best practice is to separate the values with a vertical bar (' | '). Examples: "http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nuccore/U34853.1", "http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nuccore/GU328060 | http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nuccore/AF326093".</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>A list (concatenated and separated) of identifiers or names of taxa and their associations with the Occurrence.</dd>
<dt>Comments</dt><dd>The recommended best practice is to separate the values with a vertical bar (' | '), and to separate the relationship from the taxon with a colon (':'). Examples: "host: Quercus alba", "parasitoid of:Cyclocephala signaticollis | predator of Apis mellifera".</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>A list (concatenated and separated) of previous or alternate fully qualified catalog numbers or other human-used identifiers for the same Occurrence, whether in the current or any other data set or collection.</dd>
<dt>Comments</dt><dd>The recommended best practice is to separate the values with a vertical bar (' | '). Examples: "FMNH:Mammal:1234", "NPS YELLO6778 | MBG 33424".</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>A particular organism or defined group of organisms considered to be taxonomically homogeneous.</dd>
<dt>Comments</dt><dd>Instances of the Organism class are intended to facilitate linking of one or more Identification instances to one or more Occurrence instances. Therefore, things that are typically assigned scientific names (such as viruses, hybrids, and lichens) and aggregates whose occurrences are typically recorded (such as packs, clones, and colonies) are included in the scope of this class.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>An identifier for the Organism instance (as opposed to a particular digital record of the Organism). May be a globally unique identifier or an identifier specific to the data set.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>A description of the kind of Organism instance. Can be used to indicate whether the Organism instance represents a discrete organism or if it represents a particular type of aggregation. Recommended best practice is to use a controlled vocabulary.</dd>
<dt>Comments</dt><dd>This term is not intended to be used to specify a type of taxon. To describe the kind of Organism using a URI object in RDF, use rdf:type (http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#type) instead. Examples: "multicellular organism", "virus", "clone" "pack", "colony".</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>A list (concatenated and separated) of identifiers of other Organisms and their associations to this Organism.</dd>
<dt>Comments</dt><dd>The recommended best practice is to separate the values with a vertical bar (' | '). Examples: "sibling of MXA-232", "mother of MXA-231 | mother of MXA-232"</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>A list (concatenated and separated) of previous assignments of names to the Organism.</dd>
<dt>Comments</dt><dd>The recommended best practice is to separate the values with a vertical bar (' | '). Examples: "Chalepidae", "Pinus abies", "Anthus sp., field ID by G. Iglesias | Anthus correndera, expert ID by C. Cicero 2009-02-12 based on morphology".</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>A physical results of a sampling (or subsampling) event. In biological collections, the material sample is typically collected, and either preserved or destructively processed.</dd>
<dt>Comments</dt><dd>Examples: A whole organism preserved in a collection. A part of an organism isolated for some purpose. A soil sample. A marine microbial sample.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>An identifier for the MaterialSample (as opposed to a particular digital record of the material sample). In the absence of a persistent global unique identifier, construct one from a combination of identifiers in the record that will most closely make the materialSampleID globally unique.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>An identifier for the set of information associated with an Event (something that occurs at a place and time). May be a global unique identifier or an identifier specific to the data set.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>An identifier for the broader Event that groups this and potentially other Events.</dd>
<dt>Comments</dt><dd>May be a globally unique identifier or an identifier specific to the data set. Example: "A1" as parentEventID to identify the main Whittaker Plot in nested samples, each with its own eventID (e.g., "A1:1", "A1:2").</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>The date-time or interval during which an Event occurred. For occurrences, this is the date-time when the event was recorded. Not suitable for a time in a geological context. Recommended best practice is to use an encoding scheme, such as ISO 8601:2004(E).</dd>
<dt>Comments</dt><dd>Examples: "1963-03-08T14:07-0600" is 8 Mar 1963 2:07pm in the time zone six hours earlier than UTC, "2009-02-20T08:40Z" is 20 Feb 2009 8:40am UTC, "1809-02-12" is 12 Feb 1809, "1906-06" is Jun 1906, "1971" is just that year, "2007-03-01T13:00:00Z/2008-05-11T15:30:00Z" is the interval between 1 Mar 2007 1pm UTC and 11 May 2008 3:30pm UTC, "2007-11-13/15" is the interval between 13 Nov 2007 and 15 Nov 2007.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>The time or interval during which an Event occurred. Recommended best practice is to use an encoding scheme, such as ISO 8601:2004(E).</dd>
<dt>Comments</dt><dd>Examples: "14:07-0600" is 2:07pm in the time zone six hours earlier than UTC, "08:40:21Z" is 8:40:21am UTC, "13:00:00Z/15:30:00Z" is the interval between 1pm UTC and 3:30pm UTC.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>The earliest ordinal day of the year on which the Event occurred (1 for January 1, 365 for December 31, except in a leap year, in which case it is 366).</dd>
<dt>Comments</dt><dd>Examples: "1" (=1 Jan), "366" (=31 Dec), "365" (=30 Dec in a leap year, 31 Dec in a non-leap year)</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>The latest ordinal day of the year on which the Event occurred (1 for January 1, 365 for December 31, except in a leap year, in which case it is 366).</dd>
<dt>Comments</dt><dd>Examples: "1" (=1 Jan), "366" (=31 Dec), "365" (=30 Dec in a leap year, 31 Dec in a non-leap year)</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>A numeric value for a measurement of the size (time duration, length, area, or volume) of a sample in a sampling event.</dd>
<dt>Comments</dt><dd>A sampleSizeValue must have a corresponding sampleSizeUnit. Example: "5" for sampleSizeValue with "metre" for sampleSizeUnit.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>The unit of measurement of the size (time duration, length, area, or volume) of a sample in a sampling event.</dd>
<dt>Comments</dt><dd>A sampleSizeUnit must have a corresponding sampleSizeValue, e.g., "5" for sampleSizeValue with "metre" for sampleSizeUnit. Examples: "minute", "hour", "day", "metre", "square metre", "cubic metre". Recommended best practice is to use a controlled vocabulary such as the Ontology of Units of Measure http://www.wurvoc.org/vocabularies/om-1.8/ of SI units, derived units, or other non-SI units accepted for use within the SI (e.g., minute, hour, day, litre).</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>One of a) an indicator of the existence of, b) a reference to (publication, URI), or c) the text of notes taken in the field about the Event.</dd>
<dt>Comments</dt><dd>Example: "notes available in Grinnell-Miller Library"</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>An identifier for the set of location information (data associated with dcterms:Location). May be a global unique identifier or an identifier specific to the data set.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>An identifier for the geographic region within which the Location occurred. Recommended best practice is to use an persistent identifier from a controlled vocabulary such as the Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names.</dd>
<dt>Comments</dt><dd>Example: "TGN: 1002002" for Prov. Tierra del Fuego, Argentina</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>A list (concatenated and separated) of geographic names less specific than the information captured in the locality term.</dd>
<dt>Comments</dt><dd>The recommended best practice is to separate the values with a vertical bar (' | '), with terms in order from least specific to most specific. Examples: "North Atlantic Ocean", "South America | Argentina | Patagonia | Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi | Neuquén | Los Lagos" with accompanying values "South America" in Continent, "Argentina" in Country, "Neuquén" in StateProvince, and "Los Lagos" in County.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>The name of the continent in which the Location occurs. Recommended best practice is to use a controlled vocabulary such as the Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>The name of the water body in which the Location occurs. Recommended best practice is to use a controlled vocabulary such as the Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>The name of the island group in which the Location occurs. Recommended best practice is to use a controlled vocabulary such as the Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>The name of the island on or near which the Location occurs. Recommended best practice is to use a controlled vocabulary such as the Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>The name of the country or major administrative unit in which the Location occurs. Recommended best practice is to use a controlled vocabulary such as the Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>The standard code for the country in which the Location occurs. Recommended best practice is to use ISO 3166-1-alpha-2 country codes.</dd>
<dt>Comments</dt><dd>Examples: "AR" for Argentina, "SV" for El Salvador</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>The name of the next smaller administrative region than country (state, province, canton, department, region, etc.) in which the Location occurs.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>The full, unabbreviated name of the next smaller administrative region than stateProvince (county, shire, department, etc.) in which the Location occurs.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>The full, unabbreviated name of the next smaller administrative region than county (city, municipality, etc.) in which the Location occurs. Do not use this term for a nearby named place that does not contain the actual location.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>The specific description of the place. Less specific geographic information can be provided in other geographic terms (higherGeography, continent, country, stateProvince, county, municipality, waterBody, island, islandGroup). This term may contain information modified from the original to correct perceived errors or standardize the description.</dd>
<dt>Comments</dt><dd>Example: "Bariloche, 25 km NNE via Ruta Nacional 40 (=Ruta 237)"</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>The lesser distance in a range of distance from a reference surface in the vertical direction, in meters. Use positive values for locations above the surface, negative values for locations below. If depth measures are given, the reference surface is the location given by the depth, otherwise the reference surface is the location given by the elevation.</dd>
<dt>Comments</dt><dd>Example: 1.5 meter sediment core from the bottom of a lake (at depth 20m) at 300m elevation; VerbatimElevation: "300m" MinimumElevationInMeters: "300", MaximumElevationInMeters: "300", VerbatimDepth: "20m", MinimumDepthInMeters: "20", MaximumDepthInMeters: "20", minimumDistanceAboveSurfaceInMeters: "0", maximumDistanceAboveSurfaceInMeters: "-1.5"</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>The greater distance in a range of distance from a reference surface in the vertical direction, in meters. Use positive values for locations above the surface, negative values for locations below. If depth measures are given, the reference surface is the location given by the depth, otherwise the reference surface is the location given by the elevation.</dd>
<dt>Comments</dt><dd>Example: 1.5 meter sediment core from the bottom of a lake (at depth 20m) at 300m elevation; VerbatimElevation: "300m" MinimumElevationInMeters: "300", MaximumElevationInMeters: "300", VerbatimDepth: "20m", MinimumDepthInMeters: "20", MaximumDepthInMeters: "20", minimumDistanceAboveSurfaceInMeters: "0", maximumDistanceAboveSurfaceInMeters: "-1.5"</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>Information about the source of this Location information. Could be a publication (gazetteer), institution, or team of individuals.</dd>
<dt>Comments</dt><dd>Examples: "Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names", "GADM"</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>The geographic latitude (in decimal degrees, using the spatial reference system given in geodeticDatum) of the geographic center of a Location. Positive values are north of the Equator, negative values are south of it. Legal values lie between -90 and 90, inclusive.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>The geographic longitude (in decimal degrees, using the spatial reference system given in geodeticDatum) of the geographic center of a Location. Positive values are east of the Greenwich Meridian, negative values are west of it. Legal values lie between -180 and 180, inclusive.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>The ellipsoid, geodetic datum, or spatial reference system (SRS) upon which the geographic coordinates given in decimalLatitude and decimalLongitude as based. Recommended best practice is use the EPSG code as a controlled vocabulary to provide an SRS, if known. Otherwise use a controlled vocabulary for the name or code of the geodetic datum, if known. Otherwise use a controlled vocabulary for the name or code of the ellipsoid, if known. If none of these is known, use the value "unknown".</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>The horizontal distance (in meters) from the given decimalLatitude and decimalLongitude describing the smallest circle containing the whole of the Location. Leave the value empty if the uncertainty is unknown, cannot be estimated, or is not applicable (because there are no coordinates). Zero is not a valid value for this term.</dd>
<dt>Comments</dt><dd>Examples: "30" (reasonable lower limit of a GPS reading under good conditions if the actual precision was not recorded at the time), "71" (uncertainty for a UTM coordinate having 100 meter precision and a known spatial reference system).</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>The ratio of the area of the point-radius (decimalLatitude, decimalLongitude, coordinateUncertaintyInMeters) to the area of the true (original, or most specific) spatial representation of the Location. Legal values are 0, greater than or equal to 1, or undefined. A value of 1 is an exact match or 100% overlap. A value of 0 should be used if the given point-radius does not completely contain the original representation. The pointRadiusSpatialFit is undefined (and should be left blank) if the original representation is a point without uncertainty and the given georeference is not that same point (without uncertainty). If both the original and the given georeference are the same point, the pointRadiusSpatialFit is 1.</dd>
<dt>Comments</dt><dd>Detailed explanations with graphical examples can be found in the "Guide to Best Practices for Georeferencing", Chapman and Wieczorek, eds. 2006.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>The verbatim original spatial coordinates of the Location. The coordinate ellipsoid, geodeticDatum, or full Spatial Reference System (SRS) for these coordinates should be stored in verbatimSRS and the coordinate system should be stored in verbatimCoordinateSystem.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>The verbatim original latitude of the Location. The coordinate ellipsoid, geodeticDatum, or full Spatial Reference System (SRS) for these coordinates should be stored in verbatimSRS and the coordinate system should be stored in verbatimCoordinateSystem.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>The verbatim original longitude of the Location. The coordinate ellipsoid, geodeticDatum, or full Spatial Reference System (SRS) for these coordinates should be stored in verbatimSRS and the coordinate system should be stored in verbatimCoordinateSystem.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>The spatial coordinate system for the verbatimLatitude and verbatimLongitude or the verbatimCoordinates of the Location. Recommended best practice is to use a controlled vocabulary.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>The ellipsoid, geodetic datum, or spatial reference system (SRS) upon which coordinates given in verbatimLatitude and verbatimLongitude, or verbatimCoordinates are based. Recommended best practice is use the EPSG code as a controlled vocabulary to provide an SRS, if known. Otherwise use a controlled vocabulary for the name or code of the geodetic datum, if known. Otherwise use a controlled vocabulary for the name or code of the ellipsoid, if known. If none of these is known, use the value "unknown".</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>A Well-Known Text (WKT) representation of the shape (footprint, geometry) that defines the Location. A Location may have both a point-radius representation (see decimalLatitude) and a footprint representation, and they may differ from each other.</dd>
<dt>Comments</dt><dd>Example: the one-degree bounding box with opposite corners at (longitude=10, latitude=20) and (longitude=11, latitude=21) would be expressed in well-known text as POLYGON ((10 20, 11 20, 11 21, 10 21, 10 20))</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>A Well-Known Text (WKT) representation of the Spatial Reference System (SRS) for the footprintWKT of the Location. Do not use this term to describe the SRS of the decimalLatitude and decimalLongitude, even if it is the same as for the footprintWKT - use the geodeticDatum instead.</dd>
<dt>Comments</dt><dd>Example: The WKT for the standard WGS84 SRS (EPSG:4326) is "GEOGCS["GCS_WGS_1984",DATUM["D_WGS_1984",SPHEROID["WGS_1984",6378137,298.257223563]],PRIMEM["Greenwich",0],UNIT["Degree",0.0174532925199433]]" without the enclosing quotes.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>The ratio of the area of the footprint (footprintWKT) to the area of the true (original, or most specific) spatial representation of the Location. Legal values are 0, greater than or equal to 1, or undefined. A value of 1 is an exact match or 100% overlap. A value of 0 should be used if the given footprint does not completely contain the original representation. The footprintSpatialFit is undefined (and should be left blank) if the original representation is a point and the given georeference is not that same point. If both the original and the given georeference are the same point, the footprintSpatialFit is 1.</dd>
<dt>Comments</dt><dd>Detailed explanations with graphical examples can be found in the "Guide to Best Practices for Georeferencing", Chapman and Wieczorek, eds. 2006.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>A list (concatenated and separated) of names of people, groups, or organizations who determined the georeference (spatial representation) for the Location.</dd>
<dt>Comments</dt><dd>The recommended best practice is to separate the values with a vertical bar (' | '). Examples: "Brad Millen (ROM)", "Kristina Yamamoto (MVZ) | Janet Fang (MVZ)".</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>The date on which the Location was georeferenced. Recommended best practice is to use an encoding scheme, such as ISO 8601:2004(E).</dd>
<dt>Comments</dt><dd>Examples: "1963-03-08T14:07-0600" is 8 Mar 1963 2:07pm in the time zone six hours earlier than UTC, "2009-02-20T08:40Z" is 20 Feb 2009 8:40am UTC, "1809-02-12" is 12 Feb 1809, "1906-06" is Jun 1906, "1971" is just that year, "2007-03-01T13:00:00Z/2008-05-11T15:30:00Z" is the interval between 1 Mar 2007 1pm UTC and 11 May 2008 3:30pm UTC, "2007-11-13/15" is the interval between 13 Nov 2007 and 15 Nov 2007.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>A description or reference to the methods used to determine the spatial footprint, coordinates, and uncertainties.</dd>
<dt>Comments</dt><dd>Examples: "Guide to Best Practices for Georeferencing. (Chapman and Wieczorek, eds. 2006). Global Biodiversity Information Facility.", "MaNIS/HerpNet/ORNIS Georeferencing Guidelines", "Georeferencing Quick Reference Guide"</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>A list (concatenated and separated) of maps, gazetteers, or other resources used to georeference the Location, described specifically enough to allow anyone in the future to use the same resources.</dd>
<dt>Comments</dt><dd>The recommended best practice is to separate the values with a vertical bar (' | '). Examples: "GeoLocate", "USGS 1:24000 Florence Montana Quad | Terrametrics 2008 on Google Earth".</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>A categorical description of the extent to which the georeference has been verified to represent the best possible spatial description. Recommended best practice is to use a controlled vocabulary.</dd>
<dt>Comments</dt><dd>Examples: "requires verification", "verified by collector", "verified by curator".</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>Notes or comments about the spatial description determination, explaining assumptions made in addition or opposition to the those formalized in the method referred to in georeferenceProtocol.</dd>
<dt>Comments</dt><dd>Example: "assumed distance by road (Hwy. 101)"</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>An identifier for the set of information associated with a GeologicalContext (the location within a geological context, such as stratigraphy). May be a global unique identifier or an identifier specific to the data set.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>The full name of the earliest possible geochronologic eon or lowest chrono-stratigraphic eonothem or the informal name ("Precambrian") attributable to the stratigraphic horizon from which the cataloged item was collected.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>The full name of the latest possible geochronologic eon or highest chrono-stratigraphic eonothem or the informal name ("Precambrian") attributable to the stratigraphic horizon from which the cataloged item was collected.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>The full name of the earliest possible geochronologic era or lowest chronostratigraphic erathem attributable to the stratigraphic horizon from which the cataloged item was collected.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>The full name of the latest possible geochronologic era or highest chronostratigraphic erathem attributable to the stratigraphic horizon from which the cataloged item was collected.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>The full name of the earliest possible geochronologic period or lowest chronostratigraphic system attributable to the stratigraphic horizon from which the cataloged item was collected.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>The full name of the latest possible geochronologic period or highest chronostratigraphic system attributable to the stratigraphic horizon from which the cataloged item was collected.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>The full name of the earliest possible geochronologic epoch or lowest chronostratigraphic series attributable to the stratigraphic horizon from which the cataloged item was collected.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>The full name of the latest possible geochronologic epoch or highest chronostratigraphic series attributable to the stratigraphic horizon from which the cataloged item was collected.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>The full name of the earliest possible geochronologic age or lowest chronostratigraphic stage attributable to the stratigraphic horizon from which the cataloged item was collected.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>The full name of the latest possible geochronologic age or highest chronostratigraphic stage attributable to the stratigraphic horizon from which the cataloged item was collected.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>The full name of the lowest possible geological biostratigraphic zone of the stratigraphic horizon from which the cataloged item was collected.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>The full name of the highest possible geological biostratigraphic zone of the stratigraphic horizon from which the cataloged item was collected.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>An identifier for the Identification (the body of information associated with the assignment of a scientific name). May be a global unique identifier or an identifier specific to the data set.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>A brief phrase or a standard term ("cf.", "aff.") to express the determiner's doubts about the Identification.</dd>
<dt>Comments</dt><dd>Examples: 1) For the determination "Quercus aff. agrifolia var. oxyadenia", identificationQualifier would be "aff. agrifolia var. oxyadenia" with accompanying values "Quercus" in genus, "agrifolia" in specificEpithet, "oxyadenia" in infraspecificEpithet, and "var." in rank. 2) For the determination "Quercus agrifolia cf. var. oxyadenia", identificationQualifier would be "cf. var. oxyadenia " with accompanying values "Quercus" in genus, "agrifolia" in specificEpithet, "oxyadenia" in infraspecificEpithet, and "var." in rank.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>A list (concatenated and separated) of nomenclatural types (type status, typified scientific name, publication) applied to the subject.</dd>
<dt>Comments</dt><dd>The recommended best practice is to separate the values with a vertical bar (' | '). Examples: "holotype of Ctenomys sociabilis. Pearson O. P., and M. I. Christie. 1985. Historia Natural, 5(37):388", "holotype of Pinus abies | holotype of Picea abies".</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>A list (concatenated and separated) of names of people, groups, or organizations who assigned the Taxon to the subject.</dd>
<dt>Comments</dt><dd>The recommended best practice is to separate the values with a vertical bar (' | '). Examples: "James L. Patton", "Theodore Pappenfuss | Robert Macey".</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>The date on which the subject was identified as representing the Taxon. Recommended best practice is to use an encoding scheme, such as ISO 8601:2004(E).</dd>
<dt>Comments</dt><dd>Examples: "1963-03-08T14:07-0600" is 8 Mar 1963 2:07pm in the time zone six hours earlier than UTC, "2009-02-20T08:40Z" is 20 Feb 2009 8:40am UTC, "1809-02-12" is 12 Feb 1809, "1906-06" is Jun 1906, "1971" is just that year, "2007-03-01T13:00:00Z/2008-05-11T15:30:00Z" is the interval between 1 Mar 2007 1pm UTC and 11 May 2008 3:30pm UTC, "2007-11-13/15" is the interval between 13 Nov 2007 and 15 Nov 2007.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>A list (concatenated and separated) of references (publication, global unique identifier, URI) used in the Identification.</dd>
<dt>Comments</dt><dd>The recommended best practice is to separate the values with a vertical bar (' | '). Examples: "Aves del Noroeste Patagonico. Christie et al. 2004.", "Stebbins, R. Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians. 3rd Edition. 2003. | Irschick, D.J. and Shaffer, H.B. (1997). ''The polytypic species revisited: Morphological differentiation among tiger salamanders (Ambystoma tigrinum) (Amphibia: Caudata).'' Herpetologica, 53(1), 30-49.".</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>A categorical indicator of the extent to which the taxonomic identification has been verified to be correct. Recommended best practice is to use a controlled vocabulary such as that used in HISPID/ABCD.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>A group of organisms (sensu http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/OBI_0100026) considered by taxonomists to form a homogeneous unit.</dd>
<dt>Comments</dt><dd>Example: The genus Truncorotaloides as published by Brönnimann et al. in 1953 in the Journal of Paleontology Vol. 27(6) p. 817-820.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>An identifier for the set of taxon information (data associated with the Taxon class). May be a global unique identifier or an identifier specific to the data set.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>An identifier for the name usage (documented meaning of the name according to a source) of the currently valid (zoological) or accepted (botanical) taxon.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>An identifier for the name usage (documented meaning of the name according to a source) of the direct, most proximate higher-rank parent taxon (in a classification) of the most specific element of the scientificName.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>An identifier for the name usage (documented meaning of the name according to a source) in which the terminal element of the scientificName was originally established under the rules of the associated nomenclaturalCode.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>An identifier for the source in which the specific taxon concept circumscription is defined or implied. See nameAccordingTo.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>An identifier for the publication in which the scientificName was originally established under the rules of the associated nomenclaturalCode.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>The full scientific name, with authorship and date information if known. When forming part of an Identification, this should be the name in lowest level taxonomic rank that can be determined. This term should not contain identification qualifications, which should instead be supplied in the IdentificationQualifier term.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>The full name, with authorship and date information if known, of the currently valid (zoological) or accepted (botanical) taxon.</dd>
<dt>Comments</dt><dd>Example: "Tamias minimus" valid name for "Eutamias minimus"</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>The full name, with authorship and date information if known, of the direct, most proximate higher-rank parent taxon (in a classification) of the most specific element of the scientificName.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>The taxon name, with authorship and date information if known, as it originally appeared when first established under the rules of the associated nomenclaturalCode. The basionym (botany) or basonym (bacteriology) of the scientificName or the senior/earlier homonym for replaced names.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>The reference to the source in which the specific taxon concept circumscription is defined or implied - traditionally signified by the Latin "sensu" or "sec." (from secundum, meaning "according to"). For taxa that result from identifications, a reference to the keys, monographs, experts and other sources should be given.</dd>
<dt>Comments</dt><dd>Example: "McCranie, J. R., D. B. Wake, and L. D. Wilson. 1996. The taxonomic status of Bolitoglossa schmidti, with comments on the biology of the Mesoamerican salamander Bolitoglossa dofleini (Caudata: Plethodontidae). Carib. J. Sci. 32:395-398.", "Werner Greuter 2008", "Lilljeborg 1861, Upsala Univ. Arsskrift, Math. Naturvet., pp. 4, 5"</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>A reference for the publication in which the scientificName was originally established under the rules of the associated nomenclaturalCode.</dd>
<dt>Comments</dt><dd>Examples: "Pearson O. P., and M. I. Christie. 1985. Historia Natural, 5(37):388", "Forel, Auguste, Diagnosies provisoires de quelques espèces nouvelles de fourmis de Madagascar, récoltées par M. Grandidier., Annales de la Societe Entomologique de Belgique, Comptes-rendus des Seances 30, 1886"</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>A list (concatenated and separated) of taxa names terminating at the rank immediately superior to the taxon referenced in the taxon record.</dd>
<dt>Comments</dt><dd>The recommended best practice is to separate the values with a vertical bar (' | '), with terms in order from the highest taxonomic rank to the lowest. Examples: "Animalia", "Animalia | Chordata | Vertebrata | Mammalia | Theria | Eutheria | Rodentia | Hystricognatha | Hystricognathi | Ctenomyidae | Ctenomyini | Ctenomys".</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>The full scientific name of the subgenus in which the taxon is classified. Values should include the genus to avoid homonym confusion.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>The taxonomic rank of the most specific name in the scientificName. Recommended best practice is to use a controlled vocabulary.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>The authorship information for the scientificName formatted according to the conventions of the applicable nomenclaturalCode.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>The nomenclatural code (or codes in the case of an ambiregnal name) under which the scientificName is constructed. Recommended best practice is to use a controlled vocabulary.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>The status of the use of the scientificName as a label for a taxon. Requires taxonomic opinion to define the scope of a taxon. Rules of priority then are used to define the taxonomic status of the nomenclature contained in that scope, combined with the experts opinion. It must be linked to a specific taxonomic reference that defines the concept. Recommended best practice is to use a controlled vocabulary.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>The status related to the original publication of the name and its conformance to the relevant rules of nomenclature. It is based essentially on an algorithm according to the business rules of the code. It requires no taxonomic opinion.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>A measurement of or fact about an rdfs:Resource (http://www.w3.org/2000/01/rdf-schema#Resource).</dd>
<dt>Comments</dt><dd>Resources can be thought of as identifiable records or instances of classes and may include, but need not be limited to Occurrences, Organisms, MaterialSamples, Events, Locations, GeologicalContexts, Identifications, or Taxa. Examples: The weight of an organism in grams. The number of placental scars.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>An identifier for the MeasurementOrFact (information pertaining to measurements, facts, characteristics, or assertions). May be a global unique identifier or an identifier specific to the data set.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>The nature of the measurement, fact, characteristic, or assertion. Recommended best practice is to use a controlled vocabulary.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>The units associated with the measurementValue. Recommended best practice is to use the International System of Units (SI).</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>A list (concatenated and separated) of names of people, groups, or organizations who determined the value of the MeasurementOrFact.</dd>
<dt>Comments</dt><dd>The recommended best practice is to separate the values with a vertical bar (' | '). Examples: "Rob Guralnick", "Julie Woodruff | Eileen Lacey".</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>The date on which the MeasurementOrFact was made. Recommended best practice is to use an encoding scheme, such as ISO 8601:2004(E).</dd>
<dt>Comments</dt><dd>Examples: "1963-03-08T14:07-0600" is 8 Mar 1963 2:07pm in the time zone six hours earlier than UTC, "2009-02-20T08:40Z" is 20 Feb 2009 8:40am UTC, "1809-02-12" is 12 Feb 1809, "1906-06" is Jun 1906, "1971" is just that year, "2007-03-01T13:00:00Z/2008-05-11T15:30:00Z" is the interval between 1 Mar 2007 1pm UTC and 11 May 2008 3:30pm UTC, "2007-11-13/15" is the interval between 13 Nov 2007 and 15 Nov 2007.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>A description of or reference to (publication, URI) the method or protocol used to determine the measurement, fact, characteristic, or assertion.</dd>
<dt>Comments</dt><dd>Examples: "minimum convex polygon around burrow entrances" for a home range area, "barometric altimeter" for an elevation</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>A relationship of one rdfs:Resource (http://www.w3.org/2000/01/rdf-schema#Resource) to another.</dd>
<dt>Comments</dt><dd>Resources can be thought of as identifiable records or instances of classes and may include, but need not be limited to Occurrences, Organisms, MaterialSamples, Events, Locations, GeologicalContexts, Identifications, or Taxa. Example: An instance of an Organism is the mother of another instance of an Organism.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>An identifier for an instance of relationship between one resource (the subject) and another (relatedResource, the object).</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>The relationship of the resource identified by relatedResourceID to the subject (optionally identified by the resourceID). Recommended best practice is to use a controlled vocabulary.</dd>
<dt>Definition</dt><dd>The date-time on which the relationship between the two resources was established. Recommended best practice is to use an encoding scheme, such as ISO 8601:2004(E).</dd>
<dt>Comments</dt><dd>Examples: "1963-03-08T14:07-0600" is 8 Mar 1963 2:07pm in the time zone six hours earlier than UTC, "2009-02-20T08:40Z" is 20 Feb 2009 8:40am UTC, "1809-02-12" is 12 Feb 1809, "1906-06" is Jun 1906, "1971" is just that year, "2007-03-01T13:00:00Z/2008-05-11T15:30:00Z" is the interval between 1 Mar 2007 1pm UTC and 11 May 2008 3:30pm UTC, "2007-11-13/15" is the interval between 13 Nov 2007 and 15 Nov 2007.</dd>
