Incoming data are processed in batches (tracks) defined by the time of acquisition or type of data (i.e., specimen vouchered or unvouchered). New data tracks typically contain new records not previously included in the database except in some rare instances (see Instances of Record Duplication). The database is constantly growing and being improved upon and this work can be followed in the table below.
For some data tracks we may provide donor's verbatim data online before our editing process is complete. This will sometimes result in some records not being retrieved in certain online queries. For example if records lack georeferenced coordinates and thus also GIS-derived categorical field assignments (county, drainage, HUC, ecoregion, etc.) they will not be retrieved by queries of those fields. Always search the verbatim fields in addition our edited fields to find all records of interest.
Below is a table describing our datasets and our progress towards getting them included in the online database. Some data tracks may later be combined for processing and uploading depending on progress on each, which is largely tied to project funding. Some details below may change upon closer examination and editing of our datasets. For a complete summary of our project's status users should look at this table as well as Version Tracking, Institutions Contributing Data and What's New.
Data | Track1 | Track2 | Track3 | Track4 | Track5 | Track6 | Track7 | Track8 | Track9 | Track10 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Data source | Ichthyology collections | Ichthyology collections | Ichthyology collections | Texas Parks and Wildlife Department | Texas Parks and Wildlife Department | United States Geological Survey | Texas Commission on Environmental Quality | FoTX literature compilation | FoTX photo vouchered database | FoTX museum archive extractions |
Voucher type | Museum specimens | Museum specimens | Museum specimens | Unvouchered | Unvouchered | Unvouchered | Unvouchered | Unvouchered | Photographs | Unvouchered |
Data details | Received upon request from numerous institutions | Received upon request from numerous institutions | Received upon request from numerous institutions | Inland Fisheries surveys database | Fish kill database | Various compiled collections | SWQMIS database | Various literature sources including dissertations, agency reports and primary literature. Many of these sources come from the Clark Hubbs library archived at the Texas Natural History Collection. | Photographs compiled by FoTX project. Photos come from collections made by staff and contacts as well as the internet and FoTX website user submissions. | Most records are species occurrences recorded in field notes that cannot be tied to museum specimen holdings. Presumably these specimens have been lost or destroyed before ever being cataloged. In some cases collectors donate field notes to museums but not specimens. |
FoTX version first available (see Version Tracking) | 1.0 Beta | 1.10; released as downloadable spreadsheet; futher develoed and integrated into database with version 2.0 of website. | unreleased | unreleased | unreleased | unreleased | unreleased | unreleased | unreleased | unreleased |
Online availability details | All fields available including FoTX edits. Some data editing errors fixed in version 1.1. Records available are limited to those institutions granting permission (see Institutions Contributing Data) | All fields available including FoTX edits. Records available are limited to those institutions granting permission (see Institutions Contributing Data) | Not yet available | Not yet available | Not yet available | Not yet available | Not yet available | Not yet available | Not yet available | Not yet available |
Number of contributors to entire dataset (see Institutions Contributing Data) | 33 | 9 new and 29 updates | 2 new and 3 updates (still acquiring) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | NA | NA | NA |
Number of records (number changes over time as we "split" records due to changes in taxa determinations) | 81,218 | 43,115 | 6,409 | 69,2488 | 34,722 | ? | ? | 13,714 and growing | 20 and growing | estimate at 4,000 |
Dates of acquisition | 11/1997 to 05/2006 | 04/2009 to 10/2010 | 10/2010 and ongoing | 3/2011 | 2/2011 | 11/2010 to 4/2011 | not yet in possession | 6/2010 and ongoing | 2010 and ongoing | 2009-2010 |
Records compiled/formatted | yes | yes | no | no | no | no | no | no | no | no |
Records georeferenced | 67,190 | 20,900 | no | no | no | no | no | no | no | no |
Distinct georeferenced localities | 5,729 | 2,510 | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? |
Collecting events | 10,954 | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | |
Taxa synonymized with accepted names | yes | yes | no | no | no | no | no | no | no | no |
Geographic outliers flagged for verification | 3,455 | 436 | no | no | no | no | no | no | no | no |
Geographic outliers verified | ongoing (4,993 lots examined as of 5/15/2015) | progressing (1,241 lots examined as of 5/15/2015) | no | not possible | not possible | not possible | not possible | not possible | no | not possible |
Collection dates edited | 3,114 | yes | no | no | no | no | no | no | no | no |
Collector names edited | yes | yes | no | no | no | no | no | no | no | no |
Date range | 1851 to 2006 | 1853-2010 | ? | 1975-2011 | 1951-2011 | ?-2011 | 1968-2011 | (developing) | (developing) | (developing) |