Report prepared for the Experts Meeting Towards the Implementation of a Global Invasive Species
Information Network (GISIN), 6-8 April, 2004. Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Page 15
8/30/2004
GISIN Survey Results –
Participants’ Information Needs
Shelaine Curd-Hetrick, Information International Associates,
Inc., P.O. Box 4219, Oak Ridge, TN 37831-4219. (865) 481-
0388, shelaineATinfointl.com
Abstract
In preparation for the Experts Meeting on
Implementation of a Global Invasive Species
Information Network (GISIN) held 6-8 April,
2004, three surveys were distributed to
members of the GISIN Community – an online
electronic discussion and resource access
forum. The surveys analyzed respondents'
information needs as they related to invasive
species databases, data sets, or distributed
database systems (DDSs).
Sixty individuals from 26 countries
participated in at least one survey. The majority
of respondents were developers using IBM-
compatible personal computers with Windows
operating systems and Internet Explorer 5.x (or
later) to meet geographically-focused national
initiatives, with Microsoft Access and/or
Structured Query Language (SQL) Server as
their development software. The majority of
initiatives were nationally funded. The
represented systems supported a wide variety of
export formats, were mostly available in English,
and were mainly species-focused (as opposed
to specimen-focused).
Hardware and software quality and
availability created the greatest technological
limitations affecting database development.
Future funding was identified as the greatest
non-technological limitation. Most respondents
reported having a reliable internet connection;
however, the connection speeds varied greatly.
When asked what kind of invasive species
information should be shared between Invasive
Alien Species (IAS) databases, respondents
indicated that the highest priority would be
taxonomic information, either all inclusive or
more specifically Genus, Species, and Family.
The most important requirements identified by
respondents for data types included species
name, biology/ecology and geographic origin.
The most important search criterion was
scientific name. The type of database search
result respondents rated most important is the
species profile or fact sheet.
Roughly half of the respondents are involved
in database development collaborations and
roughly a quarter use the Integrated Taxonomic
Information System (ITIS) as a taxonomy,
terminology, and data standard. The highest
ranked issues in future database development
were taxonomy and funding.
These surveys served as a discussion and
collaboration tool to allow GISIN Community
members to better share IAS information.
Keywords: survey, invasive alien species, invasive
species, invasives, alien species, exotic species,
introduced species, non-native, nonnative, database,
information system, Web, Internet, online, global
invasive species information network, GISIN, IAS,
DDS, questionnaire, survey.
Introduction
Pre-meeting discussions for the GISIN and
resource sharing among professionals in
invasive alien species (IAS) science,
information management, and database
development were facilitated by the creation
of an online community hosted by the
National Biological Information
Infrastructure (NBII) at http://my.nbii.gov/.
Members of the GISIN Community also
completed surveys to assess their IAS
D). The results of these surveys were used
to shape the GISIN agenda and identify
focus areas for the breakout groups at the
meeting.
Methods
Prior to the meeting, a review was
conducted to assess the status of current
online IAS information systems and
database resources (Sellers 2004). The
results of this review were used in part to
design the questions and topics covered by
the surveys. Issues raised by GISIN
members in online discussion forums were
also considered in the design and focus of
the survey questions.
Designed for GISIN Community members,
three of the surveys analyzed the content
and development of online and offline
electronic invasive species databases, data
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