History and development of ABCDEFG: a data standard for geosciences

Museums and their collections have specially customized databases in order to optimally gather and record their contents and associated metadata associated with their specimens. To share, exchange, and publish data, an appropriate data standard is essential. ABCD (Access to Biological Collection Data) is a standard for biological collection units, including living and preserved specimen, together with field observation data. Its extension, EFG (Extension for Geoscience), enables sharing and publishing data related to paleontological, mineralogical, and petrological objects. The standard is very granular and allows detailed descriptions, including information about the collection event itself, the holding institution, stratigraphy, chemical analysis, and host rock. The standard extension was developed in 2006 and has been used since then by different initiatives and applied for the publication of collection-related data in\ud domain-specific and interdisciplinary portals

History and development of ABCDEFG: a data standard for geosciences

Museums and their collections have specially customized databases in orderto optimally gather and record their contents and associated metadataassociated with their specimens. To share, exchange, and publish data, anappropriate data standard is essential. ABCD (Access to BiologicalCollection Data) is a standard for biological collection units, includingliving and preserved specimen, together with field observation data. Itsextension, EFG (Extension for Geoscience), enables sharing and publishing datarelated to paleontological, mineralogical, and petrological objects. Thestandard is very granular and allows detailed descriptions, includinginformation about the collection event itself, the holding institution,stratigraphy, chemical analysis, and host rock. The standard extension was developed in 2006 and has been used since then by differentinitiatives and applied for the publication of collection-related data indomain-specific and interdisciplinary portals