Preparing to Submit

• Valid Morphbank username and password (obtained through the login screen or by contacting mbadmin at scs dot fsu dot edu).
• Have available information about the locality where the specimen was collected to include the place/country/province/region and the contributor's name.
• Information about the specimen and the parties involved in the collection of it to include basis of record, sex, form, developmental stage, type status, determination, collector(s) name, date collected, locality and the contributor's name.
• Information about the view of the specimen to include imaging technique, preparation technique, specimen part, sex, form, developmental stage, view angle, highest taxon to which this view is applicable and the contributor's name.
• Image file to be uploaded (bitmap [.bmp], joint photographic experts group [.jpeg, .jpg], tag information file format [.tiff]), Specimen to which the image belongs, its Morphbank View and the contributor's name.
• Have ready any URL information so that any object contributed to Morphbank can be linked to a page/s outside Morphbank. External Links can be added to any Morphbank object (Locality, Specimen, View, Image, Publication).

In addition to specimens, images, views, and localities, Morphbank users are encouraged to submit:

• Publications that reference Morphbank objects.
• Taxon Names needed before submitting specimens and their associated images.
  • Two methods to check for presence or absence of taxon names in Morphbank:
  1. Name Query: use this to check long lists of names.
  2. or login to use Taxon Search for short lists.
  • If determinations for a Contributor's specimens are at rank higher than Genus, the Morphbank Excel Workbook (option 2 below) cannot be used for upload.
• A Contributor Logo and any associated URL for that Logo to be displayed with every object submitted by this Morpbbank user.

Submit Options

At this time, users have several options for submitting images & associated data to Morphbank. Other options are being developed. Users may contribute to Morphbank via:

1. Morphbank Web-Interface: This option suits users wishing to periodically contribute a relatively small number of images. In addition, this approach is useful for those where the associated data is not in a database already. This online user manual describes how to do this.


2. Morphbank Excel Workbook: Users wishing to contribute 100 - 250 images at a time, may find this method useful. A multi-page Excel Workbook is populated by the Contributor. Morphbank staff uploads the completed workbook. If users need assistance to complete the workbook, Morphbank staff steps in to assist. This workbook and an accompanying manual are found at:
   • Morphbank Excel Workbook - tailored with views for Plantae & Manual
   • Morphbank Excel Workbook - tailored with views for Animalia & Manual


3. Morphbank Custom Workbook [xls]

   This newest upload method utilizes a modifiable Excel file. It is meant to be a more efficient upload strategy (for everyone). The Worksheets are easily tailored to the those desiring to use only a few Morphbank fields or to those wishing to use many of the Morphbank Fields and add user-defined fields for their data / images. This option requires unique identifiers for the contributor's images and specimens. It is most suitable for those whose data is already in a database. If a contributor's data is not in a database, they must create these unique identifiers in order to use this upload option.

   Suggestion: download and open this Workbook to look at while reading this documentation in the Online User Manual at Custom Workbook Help



4. Morphbank XML Upload: Users with data in a database and many images (>500) are encouraged to use this option. This method is suitable when users plan to upload multiple large datasets and the accompanying images over time. Efforts are underway to automate this process. To use this option at-the-moment requires:
   • Contributor-provided unique identifiers for images and specimens in the dataset.
   • Mapping Contributor's database fields to Morphbank fields.
   • See Morphbank Table descriptions pdf and
   • Morphbank XML Schema to map Contribuor database fields to Morphank fields.
   • Checking & Adding Taxon Names where necessary, to Morphbank, before upload of data & images.
   • Login and use Taxon Search if checking, let's say, fewer than 20 names.
   • Use Name Query to check a long list of taxon names and get a CSV file report of matches / non-matches.
   • Names added to Morphbank via 1) web site, 2) Excel Workbook, 3) Taxon Upload form (contact mbadmin at scs dot fsu dot edu)
   • Contributor's Data in Morphbank XML Schema format
   • Perhaps Modifying the Morphbank XML Schema to accomodate the Contributor's dataset.
   • Upload of Data
   • Images sent via FTP or hard drive
   XML Expertise:
Those would-be Contributors facile with XML are encouraged to contact mbadmin at scs dot fsu dot edu. Users must put their data into the Morphbank XML Schema format to use t this upload option.


5. Morphbank via Specify6: In progress, software is being designed and written to enable those with data in Specify6 to upload directly to Morphbank with the click of a button. While this method inserts data into Morphbank, software is also being written to automate the Image upload process.