The Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) has been operating its prototype data portal for biodiversity data (http://www.gbif.net/) since 2004 and is now developing a new portal incorporating lessons learned from these early experiences (to be released at the end of 2006).

The aim of this portal will be to provide rapid access to distributed biodiversity data resources from all over the world. The portal should support user access through HTML web browsers, as well as machine access by other portals and analytical tools through web service programming interfaces.

GBIF wishes to receive the widest possible feedback on the existing prototype data portal and user requirements for the new portal. As part of this process, we have set up the following online survey and would like to receive responses by 30 April 2006:

Feedback and Requirements for use of GBIF Data Portal - end-user requirements for access to biodiversity data http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=279441780723

We plan to offer two further related surveys over the next few weeks:

Feedback and Requirements for providers of data to GBIF Data Portal – requirements from individuals and organisations sharing data through the GBIF network

Technical Feedback on architecture for GBIF Data Portal – review of architecture and design for GBIF data portal and its associated web services

For more information on GBIF’s plans for the data portal, please see:

The GBIF Data Portal Strategy, available from: http://circa.gbif.net/Public/irc/gbif/dadi/library?l=/architecture

The GBIF Data Portal Design wiki at: http://wiki.gbif.org/dadiwiki/

Please note that this survey relates to the GBIF Data Portal. GBIF also operates the GBIF Communications Portal (http://www.gbif.org/), which provides information about the organisation and its activities. An opportunity is provided on the last page of this survey to comment on the GBIF's use of two separate portals.

Thank you for your help.

Donald   --------------------------------------------------------------- Donald Hobern (dhobern@gbif.org) Programme Officer for Data Access and Database Interoperability Global Biodiversity Information Facility Secretariat Universitetsparken 15, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark Tel: +45-35321483   Mobile: +45-28751483   Fax: +45-35321480 ---------------------------------------------------------------