(Apologies for cross-posting).

Please take some time for the following survey about metadata on evolutionary trees. Your responses will inform both the Minimum Information about a Phylogenetic Analysis (MIAPA) standard and also the metadata collected and used to assemble the Open Tree of Life.

Cheers, Karen

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: evoldir@evol.biology.mcmaster.ca Date: Thu, Aug 23, 2012 at 4:37 AM Subject: Other: Minimum Information about a Phylogenetic Analysis To: karen.cranston@gmail.com

What data makes a phylogenetic tree useful?

When publishing a phylogenetic tree, or evaluating a tree, we generally want more than simply the tree structure - for example, who inferred the tree? using what data and what methods? what are the organisms at the tips? what are the support values? Of course, those who use / evaluate trees want as much data as possible about a tree. Those who publish / database trees want a quick and simple submission system. How do we balance these sometimes conflicting viewpoints?

The following survey asks you to categorize various data elements about trees in terms of 1) how useful is the data? and 2) how difficult is it to collect? The survey should take about 10 minutes.

https://duke.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_b2upIMII4fxJkAA

This survey is brought to you by MIAPA and Open Tree of Life. MIAPA (http://www.evoio.org/wiki/MIAPA) aims to develop a formal spec for Minimum Information About a Phylogenetic Analysis. The Open Tree of Life (http://opentreeoflife.org) is collecting input phylogenies for synthesis into a comprehensive tree of life. We will share the results via the MIAPA and Open Tree of Life websites, and results will inform the MIAPA standard as well as the collection trees for Open Tree of Life.

If you have any questions about this project, please contact Karen Cranston (karen.cranston@nescent.org).

Thank you! Karen Cranston (on behalf of MIAPA and Open Tree of Life) National Evolutionary Synthesis Center