Program
An overview of the course curriculum for Accelerating biodiversity research through DNA barcodes, collection, and observation data is provided here.
Venue and travel information
The venue for the training course is at Iziko Museum, Cape Town, South Africa. Flights and ground transport costs from the airport are covered for participants not based in Cape Town, and food and and accommodation costs will be covered for all participants.
Aim
This course will teach you how to use DNA barcodes, and collection and observation data to resolve research questions in biodiversity. The program uses a combination of lectures, tutorials, and hands-on exercises. You will learn to handle biodiversity data including DNA barcoding. You will gain practical experience in using open and digitally documented biodiversity data through GBIF and BOLD to answer biodiversity research questions. You will understand and practice capturing observation, collection, and genetic data from analog and digital sources. Finally, this course provides basic skills in data publishing through GBIF and BOLD.
Scope
Data management skills for accessing and publishing data through biodiversity data platforms. This is an observation/specimen → published record course that does not include wet lab steps.
Audience
The course is suitable for MSc and Ph.D. students in biology and other professionals in relevant fields.
Prerequisites
Participants should have an affinity or professional interest in biodiversity. Participants need to have the motivation and interest to handle DNA barcodes, museum collection data, and observation data. A good understanding of English is necessary to follow the course, carry out the exercises, and receive support during the teaching.
Intended learning outcomes
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Understand and be able to explain the concept of species delimitation.
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Learn to use genetic sequence data as a DNA barcode to identify a species.
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Learn to publish and retrieve data from GBIF and BOLD.
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Learn the basics of data capture, cleaning, storage, geo-referencing, and citation.
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Critically assess the quality of own and external data and their fitness for purpose.
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Practice the key tools and approaches to maximize data quality, data linking, and data reuse.
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Explore the benefits of FAIR and open data principles in biodiversity research and collaboration.
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Understand the value of data management as a research-enabling tool.
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Broadly understand the importance of international biodiversity infrastructures, and how these can contribute to biodiversity assessments, monitoring, conservation, and red-listing.
Join the iNaturalist bioblitz project
You may like to start observing Bombus, Vicia, and Crocus around you using the iNaturalist app. You can also upload photo observations from your desktop. Observations from anywhere in Cape Town can be added until the end of the course. There will be three prizes: for the most observations made, for the highest number of species observed, and for the highest number of identifications made.
New to iNaturalist? Read https://www.inaturalist.org/pages/getting+started.