Online-only Table 2 The MIReAD data fields
From: MIReAD, a minimum information standard for reporting arthropod abundance data
Field(s) | Details | Recommendations | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
Start Time (for collection) | Start time of the data sample collection. e.g. The trap was set… | Be as specific as practically possible. Any unambiguous format is acceptable. However, do not use two-digit year abbreviations. If relevant, provide time zone in field or in header; a 24 hour clock is preferred but should be made unambiguous as to which time format is being used. | “2012-04-27” “July 26, 2017” “2017-Jul-26” “2017-July-26 Morning” “2017-Jul-26 20:00 GMT” |
End Time (for collection) | End time of the data sample collection. e.g. The trap was collected… | See above. If instantaneous data collection (e.g. a tick drag), End Time may be the same as Start Time. | See above. |
Location | The geographical location of sample collection. | As detailed as possible. Latitude and longitude if possible with specified accuracy Providing both a GPS point (decimalized GPS points are preferred) field and a geographical name field is preferred. Note only providing location names is highly discouraged as they change over time and can be ambiguous. Both Place / Trap names and GPS fields can be provided. If obfuscation was used, it should be indicated in the Metadata (Online-only Table 1). Splitting latitude and longitude further into two columns further reduces ambiguity. | “Kukar Maikiya, Jigawa State, Nigeria” and “40.697” and “ −74.015” “40.697” and “ −74.015” |
Collection method | Sampling apparatus (e.g. trap type, observation method) | “CDC light trap” “Tick drag” “Quadrat count” “BG Sentinel Trap” “Pitfall trap” “Sticky trap” “Larval dip” “Johnson suction trap” “Lindgren Funnel Trap” | |
Collection attractants | The attractant/ lures used to attract insects to a trap or collection | Please be as specific as possible. For example, a cow used as bait should be referred to as a ‘cow’ and not ‘animal’, or specify the attractant used, such as ‘CO2’ Company names, in particular for chemical attractants, are helpful. Please explicitly state if no attractant was used. | “None” “Carbon dioxide” “UV light” “Biogents Sweetscent Mosquito Lure” “Human” "Russel IPM: CAT-QLURE-CB" |
Collection area | The spatial extent (area or volume) of the sample. | If relevant (e.g., when collection method is transect or quadrat), in units of area or volume, the spatial coverage of the sampling unit. Note this field would not typically be used for passive collections from fixed traps. | “100 m^2” “1 liter” “1 ha” “10 m^3” |
Taxonomy | Classification of sample collected. | Scientific genus and species preferred. Avoid abbreviation. | “Chortoicetes terminifera” “Aedes aegypti” “Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto” “Chrysodeixis argentifera“ |
Unit(s) of measurement and observation | Description of exactly what was observed, the unit for the field “Value,” below. For counts, should indicate life stage, sex, etc. Unit measures can be encoded into value field header. Consider multiple unit fields (e.g. separate fields for sex and stage.) See Fig. 2. | Do not abbreviate. Coded data key should be provided in field name (e.g. “1 = species present 0 = species absent”) | “Number of individuals per m^2” “Adult Females” “Males and Females” and “Nymphs” |
Value | The numerical amount or result from the sample collection. Often this will be a quantity of observed individuals. Unit measures can be encoded into value field header. See Fig. 2. | Units should be provided in a separate field or in the header. | “0” “23” “Yes” “Not present” |
Additional sample information field(s) | This could be more than one field and should be used when more information is required to understand the experiment, for example experimental variables, sub-locations, plant host cultivar/species, etc. Some users may report wind speeds, temperatures, elevations etc. This could also include data on disposition of any voucher specimen. | Do not abbreviate. For voucher specimens, it should be made known that a specimen is in fact a voucher and second, if different pieces of the voucher are stored separately (e.g., insect on pin, leg in freezer) or at different institutions. | “Forest” vs “Field” “Winter” vs “Summer” “Inside” vs “Outside” “200 meters above sea level” “Cowrie” vs “Leichhardt” vs “Surf” (Soybean cultivars) |
Sample Name | A human readable sample name. May exist solely for the benefit of the depositor in organizing their data, use their own internal naming conventions etc. May also be used to tie related observations together. This field may be useful for updating records once deposited in a repository. | Naming convention is not restricted, but any encoded metadata should be revealed in the other data fields. For example, you may name a sample named ‘Aphid1_StickyTrap_Jan4,’ but you will still have “Sticky Trap” listed in a Collection Method field, and “Jan 4, 2017” in the date field. | “Trap1_Night1” “Armyworm_2” “00004” “Jan08_animal_4,” “ABC_123_4b” |
