The information below is relevant to either Snapshot collections, Live Collections or both. The video and annotated screenshots review the steps for batch uploading of occurrence records and images. Batch uploading data is the only way to bring in new data from a Snapshot collection. Live collections can update their records and images either through batch uploads or by adding records and images individually through the Symbiota Data Entry Module. See differences between Snapshot and Live collections in SCAN. For Snapshot collections, images are typically linked to the URL provided in each record from the IPT, or they batch upload images directly to SCAN (Batch Image Upload Guide) Many Live collections also batch upload images but they can also upload images individually when they enter records in the Symbiota Data Entry Module.
For the Snapshot collection data providers (i.e., do not use Symbiota as their content management system or primary database), there are several procedures to batch upload their occurrences data. The most common methods for integrating data into SCAN include harvesting from an IPT site, directly accessing or uploading a DwC-A file or a CSV file. A number of Live collections also use the CSV option in addition to or instead of entering data directly into their Symbiota database. The most common reasons that Live collections upload data as a batch CV are because they are more comfortable entering data in Excel and converting. This is especially true when they have a lot of specimens from one or more collecting events and duplicating date and location is easier in Excel. They may also obtain a donation that comes with data in a spreadsheet.
Step-by-Step Guide to Batch Uploading from IPT, or direct Darwin Core Archive (DwC-A) or CSV.
Below are screenshots that show the steps and options associated with the record upload module (.e.g., Import/Update Specimen Records). You must login to SCAN and then open Sitemap to access this and other administrative modules. In addition the the direct upload described below, there is at least one alternative method for Specify users to link their Specify data to a SCAN collection dataset
Below is a nice tutorial video provided by Vaughn Shirey (ANSP, OrthopNet) showing the steps in batch uploading data from a CSV file.
