Seasons Greetings from the ALA team
The Atlas team would like to thank all those who have expressed interest in the project during 2008. It has been a year of laying foundations and we look forward to delivering some results in 2009. Season’s Greetings.
Atlas user needs analysis
A team from the Australian Museum has recently completed a project to analyse user requirements for biodiversity information and to identify areas in which the Atlas can assist users. This user needs analysis document will be an essential tool in setting the direction for the work of the Atlas over the next few years. The main body of the report is available through the Atlas web site.
Priority setting for the Atlas
The Atlas now has several essential tools to guide us in our planning and help us to set priority goals for the project. These tools include:
- A survey of Australian natural history collections. The information is being fed into the Biodiversity Collections Index.
- A survey of tools and software of potential use to the Atlas.
- A user needs analysis for users of biodiversity information in Australia
We now need to take the next steps and identify specific projects, tools and services which should be the primary focus of attention for the Atlas up to June 2011. These projects should be selected to maximise the benefit to users of biodiversity data and to demonstrate the potential benefits which are to be expected from bringing all available information on all Australian species online in an integrated form.
The Atlas is therefore seeking input into defining the set of projects which will best meet these goals. Please take time to look at the documents and provide your comments.