2. Database Questionnaire

Please return a separate questionnaire for each distinct database

(2.1)	Laboratory name: _________________________________________________
(2.2)		Name of department (if different from above):  _____________________________________
	_____________________________________________________________________________
The database:

(2.3)		Short title/acronym:	____________________________
(2.4)		Descriptive title:	_________________________________________________________
(2.5)		Name of database manager:	___________________________________________________

(2.6)		Please characterise the collected or observed units managed by the database system 
The following table attempts to categorise units according to 3 criteria, because conventional terms (herbarium, culture collections, floristic mapping survey, etc.) are often rather imprecise. The examples provide a guideline but please feel free to add appropriate categories. If you wish, you can also add a plain text description of the unit categories your database is used for.

Organism group	
Constraints	
Preservation state or cultivation type	
e.g.:
micro-organism 
coleoptera
fossils 
plankton
plants
fungi	e.g.: 
plant pathogens
western Europe
Willdenow collection
greenhouse 
marine habitat
endangered species	e.g.:
conserved (in alcohol)
conserved (dried and pressed)
dormant (deep frozen)
living (garden cultivation)
living (field observation only)
fossil (field observation only)	

			

			

			

			

Description in plain text: _______________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

		Data acquisition:

(2.7)		Total number of existing collection or observation units to be entered: _____

(2.8)		Number of units already entered: _____

(2.9)		Number of additional, not yet existing, units expected to be entered annually: _____

(2.10)	Are standard data catalogues used for input and/or input checking (e.g. floristic lists, gazetteers, standard abbreviations, bibliographies)?

 No		
	 Yes:  ___________________________________________________________________

(2.11)	Is there a formal procedure to ensure the scientific quality of the data entered?

 Yes		
	 Not applicable (e.g. because individual scientist’s database)
 No

(2.12)	Do you use a metadata standard (e.g. Dublin Core, Federal Geographic Data Committee)?

 Don’t know		
	 No
	 Yes:  ___________________________________________________________________

		Database application (software):

(2.13)	Name of the database application used: __________________________________________

(2.14)	Is the database application developed in-house?

 Yes		
	 Yes, in co-operation with: __________________________________________________
	 No,  developed by: ________________________________________________________

			(if not developed in-house, continue with question 2.19)

(2.15)	Software tools used in database application development:  __________________________
	_________________________________________________________________________

(2.16)	Current status of database development:

  Under development and not yet in use  (planned deployment date: __________)
	  In use since _______ (year), but no further development
	  Installed and in use since _______ (year), undergoing further development

 (2.17)	Documentation of database design:
 Published, or to be published. Reference: _____________________________________
	 Internally documented, to be made public by BioCISE
	 Internally documented, don’t make public
	 No documentation of database design 

(2.18)	Is the database design based on a published information model or data exchange standard 
		(e.g. ASC, CDEFD, HISPID)?
	 No
	  Yes, the design is based on _________________________________________________

 (2.19)	Are the database and the database user interface running on the same computer?

 	No
	 	 	Yes

Database management software: __________

____________________________________	
Database software: _____________________

_____________________________________	

on operating system(s): _________________

____________________________________	
on operating system(s): __________________

_____________________________________	

User interface (front end/client): __________

____________________________________		

on operating system(s): _________________

____________________________________	

___________________________________	

	Database application features:

(2.20)	Does the database system include one or more of the following features?
  Loan management
  Exchange management 
  Sales management
  Label printing
  Identification history of collection units
	 Geographic Information System (GIS) interface
	 Point location or other mapping tools
  Management of preservation treatments

(2.21)  Which features are you missing? ________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

(2.22)	From the user’s point of view, would you recommend the database system to colleagues?
 Yes
 No

(2.23)	Is the database currently used to handle the day-to-day turnover (accessioning, loans, etc.) in the collection?
 Yes
 No

(2.24)	Is the database system used to serve external inquiries?
	 No, the database is only used for internal tasks
	 Yes, the system serves inquiries from other labs/institutes persons 
Number of inquiries per year: ____

(2.25)	Is the database accessible on-line?
	 No
		 Accessible via world wide web: http://________________________	 password restricted
		 The database is accessible via telnet:  _________________________	 password restricted 
		 Other: _________________________________________________	 password restricted

(2.26)	On behalf of BioCISE, the BGBM makes public information about collection information systems in Europe on the World Wide Web. Please indicate in the following table if you authorise BioCISE to publish your answers to this questionnaire (answers to this and the following question will not be published):

Number	Contents		
2.1 – 2.2	Laboratory name		publish 		private to BioCISE	
2.3 – 2.4	The database		publish 		private to BioCISE	
2.5	Database manager		publish 		private to BioCISE	
2.6	Collection category		publish		private to BioCISE	
2.7 – 2.12	Data acquisition		publish		private to BioCISE	
2.13 – 2.19	Database application		publish		private to BioCISE	
2.20 – 2.21	Database application features		publish		private to BioCISE	
2.22	Recommendation		publish		private to BioCISE	
2.23 – 2.25	Database accessibility		publish		private to BioCISE	

Questionnaire filled in by: ________________________________________________________
Thank you very much for investing your time!