Conventional data repositories simply store individual datasets, which must then be queried individually and combined by the data user. Edaphobase avoids this by integrating (and standardizing, harmonizing and quality controlling) all submitted data into the overall database, thereby allowing common query and re-use of all data together. However, such integration necessitates more advanced data-submission procedures than with conventional data repositories.
These submission procedures therefore require some basic data-management knowledge and skills, which soil ecologists sometimes do not receive in their training. Therefore, Edaphobase provides (in the links below) tools, background information and guidance in easily usable formats.
| Upload Wizard | Software tool (127 MB) for submitting data to Edaphobase. The software guides you through all metadata fields and then annotates (“maps”) your vocabularies and formats to Edaphobase data structures, thereby providing and ensuring compliant formats of your data. The links downloads a setup tool for the software. Administrator rights are not needed to install. |
| Data-Upload Video | A video outlining the various steps for uploading (submitting) data with the Upload Wizard software. |
| Data-Upload Manual (draft) | A manual detailing the background, procedures and individual work steps during data submission with the Upload Wizard software. |
| Data fields | Website describing all data fields (data variables) currently supported by Edaphobase. Hierarchically organized according to thematic categories, information for each data field includes the name, definition, format, units, DarwinCore equivalents, etc. |
| Metadata Fields | Edaphobase includes metadata about (1) the dataset itself, (2) environmental parameters of the study sites, and (3) the field and laboratory methods. The link leads to the website above (“Data fields”), which includes a tab for metadata. |
| Selection lists | Categorical variables require standardized vocabularies for data-entry possibilities (comparability across data sets!). Each categorical data field includes a selection list (“authority list”) of standardized data entries. New data possibilities can be suggested by data providers. The selection lists can be found in the descriptions of the individual data fields. |
| Documentation difficult data-upload topics / data fields | A few (mandatory) data fields and procedures are sometimes difficult for the non-data-scientist to understand. PDFs provide simple and easy to understand descriptions and definitions of some of these data fields and topics. |
| Data Templates | For digitizing (new) data for upload/submission, standardized data templates are available, which are designed for easy data submission via the Upload Wizard software. Templates for morphologically (“SFDT”) and molecularly (“SSDT”) identified soil biodiversity are available. Based on Excel sheets, the templates include all mandatory metadata and data fields as well as drop-down lists of possible data entries for categorical variables. |
| Data Policy | Link to the Edaphobase Data Policy. This Policy balances the protection of the Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) of data providers with open-access data for data users. Among many aspects, important are therefore the rights and restriction possibilities offered to data providers as well as the data-citation regulations for data users. |
| Webinars on Edaphobase | Videos of webinars given on the Edaphobase Data Structures as well as the Use and Functionalities of the Edaphobase Data-Query Portal. |
| General Upload info | A link leading to all of the information provided above. |
