PLAZI

A learning path set for PLAZI users with 4 domains: Basics, Processing, Data Re-use and Data management.
At the end of the learning path, researchers or data managers specialized in development of persistent and
openly accessible digital taxonomic literature are able to:
- Understand the concepts of FAIR data, taxonomic treatment and the workflow for data extraction from scientific publications,
- Perform the extraction of data and quality control of data using Plazi tools and infrastructures,
- Recognize and use the different services and repositories of data for data mining and reuse according to FAIR data principles.

Licence: Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike 4.0 International

Keywords: FAIR Data, Biodiversity, Bioinformatics tools, Taxonomy

Authors: Julia Giora, Plazi

Contributors: Valeria Di Cola, Julia Giora

Scientific topics: FAIR data, Biodiversity, Taxonomy, Bioinformatics

Status: Active

Target audience: Scientific community, science students

Learning objectives:

Develop awareness of the training needed for the development of persistent and openly accessible digital taxonomic literature.

1

Introduction to PLAZI's workflow and to FAIR data concepts

• beginner 4 materials

This module provides an overview of Plazi's workflow for the extraction, structuring, and dissemination of biodiversity data from scientific literature. Participants will be introduced to the core principles guiding Plazi's work, including the FAIR data concepts—Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable—and how these are applied to enhance access to taxonomic information. The session aims to build a foundational understanding of the tools, processes, and goals behind Plazi’s mission to make scientific data openly available and machine-readable for global reuse and integration.

2

How to process and curate data through Plazi's workflow

•• intermediate 7 materials

This module guides participants through the practical steps of processing and curating biodiversity data using Plazi’s workflow. It covers the use of tools such as GoldenGATE Imagine for semantic markup of taxonomic treatments, and details the standards applied to ensure data quality, interoperability, and compliance with FAIR principles. Participants will learn how to transform scientific publications into structured, machine-readable data, ready for integration into global biodiversity platforms such as TreatmentBank, GBIF, and the Biodiversity Literature Repository.

3

Reusing Biodiversity Data: Access, Integration, and Application

•• intermediate 15 materials

This module explores how biodiversity data processed through Plazi’s workflow can be accessed, integrated, and reused across multiple platforms. Participants will learn how to locate and retrieve data from open-access repositories such as GBIF, TreatmentBank, the Biodiversity Literature Repository, Ocellu, Synospecies, and BiodiversityPMC. The session highlights real-world applications of reused data in research, conservation, and policy-making, emphasizing how structured, FAIR-compliant information supports broader scientific and societal goals.

Activity log