Computerization of Invertebrate Paleontology Collection Records

无脊椎动物古生物学收藏记录的计算机化

• 批准号: 9217735
• 负责人: James McLean
• 金额: $ 9.99万
• 依托单位: Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History Foundation
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 1993
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1993-06-01 至 1995-11-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=9217735&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Computerization; Invertebrate; Paleontology; Collection; Records

The collection of the Invertebrate Paleontology Section of the National History Museum of Los Angeles County, ranked sixth in North America in size and importance by the paleontological Society, contains about 3.5 million specimens from 26,000 catalogued localities, and more than 8,000 type and figured specimens cited in about 570 published papers. The collection forms an important national paleontological resource, but one from which taxonomic data cannot be quickly retrieved. To alleviate this situation, the institution investigated a program to computerize its collection records using relational database software (Paradox 3.5) running inhouse on a DOS platform. The planning phase of computerization was completed in late 1991 and implementation of data entry and report forms, testing of database designs with preliminary data sets, and fine tuning of table and field definitions, data dictionaries, and procedural manuals will soon be completed. This project will provide one-time assistance for purchase of hardware (computers, printers, mass storage and communication devices) to assist in these acquisitions and funding for a full-time curatorial assistant for two years for data entry and validation of the locality, type specimen, and bibliographic databases that constitute the sectional collection records. %%% Collections of this type some as important national resources not only for fundamental research but also for general public exhibition, educational programs aimed at all sectors of the population, and as source materials for the testing are validation of models designed to emulate past biological/climatological histories and make projections for the future.

洛杉矶县国家历史博物馆的无脊椎动物古生物部的收藏规模和重要性在古生物学会的北美排名第六，其中包括来自26,000个编目地点的约350万件标本，以及在约570篇已发表的论文中引用的8000多件类型和图形标本。这些藏品构成了重要的国家古生物资源，但分类数据无法快速检索。为了缓解这种情况，该机构研究了一个程序，利用在DOS平台上运行的关系数据库软件（Paradox 3.5）将其收集记录计算机化。电脑化的规划阶段已于1991年底完成，数据输入和报告表格的执行、用初步数据集测试数据库设计、表和字段定义、数据字典和程序手册的微调将很快完成。本项目将提供购买硬件（计算机、打印机、大容量存储和通信设备）的一次性援助，以协助这些采购，并为一名全职策展助理提供为期两年的资金，负责数据输入和验证构成部分收集记录的地点、模式标本和书目数据库。这类藏品有些是重要的国家资源，不仅用于基础研究，而且用于一般公众展览，针对各阶层人口的教育计划，作为测试的原始材料，验证了旨在模拟过去生物/气候历史并对未来进行预测的模型。