The EcoData Retriever: Improving Access to Existing Ecological Data

摘要: Ecological research relies increasingly on the use of previously collected data. Use existing datasets allows questions to be addressed more quickly, generally, and at larger scales than would otherwise possible. As a result large-scale data collection efforts, an increasing emphasis publication by journals funding agencies, large ever-increasing amount ecological is now publicly available via internet. Most do not adhere any agreed-upon standards in format, structure or method access. Some may broken up across multiple files, stored compressed archives, violate basic principles structure. acquiring utilizing can time consuming error prone process. The EcoData Retriever extensible software framework which automates tasks discovering, downloading, reformatting files for storage local file relational database. automation these saves significant researchers substantially reduces likelihood errors resulting from manual manipulation unfamiliarity with complexities individual datasets.