• INSTITUTION: a list of institutions involved in biodiversity.

An institution according to the definition used in BIODIV can be a university, museum ... (see list this page ).
Each institution is described by at least a working name (preferrably in English), eventually accompanied by official names in French, Dutch, German and their respective abbreviations.

One or more categories (lists the same entities ) are attributed to each institution and, if appropriate, to its subunits.

• SUBUNITS or GROUPS: this table contains the different subunits of a given institution , limited however to those involved in biodiversity, their address, phone, fax, e-mail, and working language (in Belgium mainly Dutch and French).

One or more categories (lists the same entities ) can be attributed to these subunits, especially when the category of the subunit differs from the one/those of the mother institution.

• PEOPLE: a list of people involved in biodiversity.

This table contains names, phone numbers, fax numbers, e-mail addresses...
In this respect BIODIV can be usefull as a directory.

• RESEARCH TITLES: a list of informative research titles in biodiversity

(title, URL, start and end date, ...)

• COLLECTIONS: a list of informative names of biological collections related to biodiversity. Each collection may be related to one or more databases. A database in itself is considered as a collection, as is a dedicated set of slides, books, reprints, etc. Collections are described with a few parameters like number of specimens, number of species, number of type specimens, age,... .

• DATABASES: are directly linked to a collection and contains a.o. information on the number of records and the software used.

• RESEARCH or COLLECTION TRIPLETS : the unit of the system BIODIV;

a triplet is a link between a person, a research item or collection and a subunit of an institution.

• KEYWORDS:

The keywords are necessary to search the scientific information in the database BIODIV, of both parts RESEARCH and COLLECTIONS.
Keywords are distributed over three separate tables: taxonomy, geography and miscellaneous. There are no limitations as to the number of keywords used. BIODIV accepts any keyword a researcher puts forward, but takes the liberty of adding other usefull keywords.
A thesaurus is being made from the collection of keywords used, with reference to existing thesauri.

• GEOGRAPHY: any name or noun with a geographical meaning; preferrably 'world' or 'worldwide' is not  used, but replaced by an enumeration of the continents.

• TAXONOMY: scientific names of taxa, at any level, are used; vernacular names are not normally used, one big exception being 'vascular plants'.

• MISCELLANEOUS:  any keyword that does not belong under a geographical or taxonomical heading.

• INFORMATION: allows for extra comments or information of any kind about a research title or a collection.

• PUBLICATIONS: a list of publications of any kind related to a research title; BIODIV especially invites people to put in references on 'grey literature' (lesser known periodicals, unpublished reports,... ).

Furthermore there are extra databases to enhance the service of BIODIV to the community.

• EVENTS: announcements of symposia, conferences,... . This part offers free access to anyone wishing to communicate an initiative.

• NEWS: announcements on any important features (other than events), like questionnaires, publication of major reference books, new interesting periodicals, ...(managed by the webmasters, but any suggestions are welcome).

• LITERATURE: a list of recommended literature (in continuous construction), described by fixed keywords organised in 4 groups (ecology and conservation, references, regions, taxa) (managed by the webmasters, but any suggestions are welcome).
• IMAGES: BIODIV allows people to add images related to their research titles. See this page for more information.

• BIODIV allows you to add or modify information using forms on the website and send them electronically (use this page). 
  There are two different forms available, one for research items, one for collections.  For security reasons all information sent is not automatically incorporated in the database and

thus not immediately available on the BIODIV website. 
It takes a signed fax for CONFIRMATION (print of the faxpage automatically generated after sending the form), after which the information is checked and added to the internal database. An update of the website sends the new information into cyberspace.
 

• Following largely the same procedure as above, any existing information in BIODIV can be recalled as a completed form, modified and resent in the same way as stated above. Confirmation needed.

• Please read the help page.

• BIODIV is coupled to and used by other Belgian and European metadatabases like  Biodiversity in Wallonia  BioCISE , Metafro Infosys

BIODIV is also being used by the Belgian government to define the Belgian research on biodiversity in terms of the international program DIVERSITAS.

If you have any comments please send a mail to Guido Rappé or Alain Vander Velde