EDIT WP6

NOTE: I am posting this as the very first draft of the common requirements. Only WP6 members should have access to this draft.

WP6 Exemplar groups web portal requirements  (ver. 1.0  Apr 2007)
[Based on the Palmweb requirements document - the Palm exemplary group]

This document describes the users, content, main uses and general functionality needed for the exemplar group portals to become

• a web-based source of authoritative taxonomic information and related data
• a tool to facilitate collaboration among taxonomic experts and a mechanism for efficient dissemination of their research

The 3 exemplar groups share many of the requirements but each group has specific need which are highlighted in this document.

The requirements for the collaborative platform, which would include content contribution and quality control mechanisms, among other functions, have not yet been fully determined, but will be presented in future versions of this requirements document.

Users

Every person using the portals is a user. Upon registration, users become members.

Main uses of the website

Users will be able to:
•    retrieve information from the website by browsing and searching
•    download information
•    register
•    contribute content through the portal developers (a temporary solution while the collaborative mechanisms are defined and implemented).

Users will be able to browse through a classification tree and search according to a single or multiple criteria. Scientific name, common name and distribution will be the essential search criteria, although other desirable criteria are habitat, uses and conservation status. Depending on the user’s choice, the result of a search may be a checklist or an index of images, both with links to taxon and image pages.

The content of the pages in the portals will be downloadable as a pdf file. The option to download only text will be available.

Content

Most content will be concentrated in the taxon pages, primarily genus and species pages. Some options will be specific for a rank (e.g. keys will be displayed in the genus page, but not the species page). The taxon page will give access to the taxonomy for a taxon and links to other websites.

For Palmweb
The nomenclatural backbone will be obtained from the World Checklist of Monocotyledons and further content will be added from published taxonomic treatments. Initially, the Palmweb developers will maintain editorial responsibility. It is hoped, however, that the palm expert community will ultimately assume and share this role.

In general, the content in Palmweb for a palm taxon will include:
•    Classification (automatically generated by the system)
•    Nomenclature (from World Checklist of Monocotyledons)
•    Accepted species (from World Checklist of Monocotyledons)
•    Synonyms (from World Checklist of Monocotyledons)
•    Taxonomic treatments.
The priorities are the most recent/recommended treatment and the protologue. Other treatments will be incorporated in the content as time permits.
•    Distribution (from taxonomic treatments and TDWG codes)
•    Ecology (from taxonomic treatments)
•    Uses (from taxonomic treatments)
•    Images (from taxonomic treatments and other sources)
A gallery that will include all the photos, illustrations and maps associated with a taxon name.
•    Phylogenetic information (sources to be determined)
•    Bibliography (sources to be determined)
•    Keys
•    Molecular data (from Genbank)
•    Other data
•    Specimens (from GBIF and other specimen databases)
•    Alternative hypotheses
•    Credits

(The descriptions of each of these content elements will be extended soon)

Synonym pages will show only a link to the valid name.

Interaction with other websites

it is expected the portals to have a dynamic communication with some relevant databases (e.g. specimen, images and other speci\lized databases, GeneBank, etc.)

For Palmweb
Initially data from the WCM will be taken statically, but in a later stage Palmweb should communicate dynamically with the WCM, either directly or via a webservice. A future database for palm uses should also be linked to palmweb. GenBank provides webservices that may be used in Palmweb.