Are you involved in taxonomy, biodiversity research, academic publishing, or library sciences? Do you want to learn how to make biodiversity data more accessible, reusable, and FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable)?
Join the DEST (Distributed European School of Taxonomy) training session to gain both theory and hands-on skills in liberating data from scientific publications and reusing it effectively.
About this Course
This course offers a deep dive into the processes of annotating, structuring, and sharing biodiversity data extracted from scientific literature. The session will begin with an online theoretical introduction, providing an overview of the current state of biodiversity literature, the move towards the liberation of taxonomic data and the new opportunities this offers. This will be followed by two days of hands-on, in-person training focused on practical workflows for structuring, annotating, and circulating biodiversity data from scientific publications. Participants will explore how to annotate biodiversity datasets, ensuring they are properly formatted for reuse, and how to facilitate the sharing and circulation of these datasets within the scientific community. Trainees will also learn how to access and reuse data for their own research needs.
When & Where
- Online Session: 15 October 2025, 14:00-16:00 — Introduction: the state of biodiversity literature and current moves towards data liberation.
- Face-to-Face Sessions: 10-11 November 2025, Villa Engler, Freie Universität Berlin, Altensteinstr. 2, 14195 Berlin.
Who Should Attend
This course is ideal for editors, publishers, librarians, researchers, and students involved in biodiversity, taxonomy, or data science. No prior advanced experience is necessary but participants should have basic familiarity with scientific publications and data.
What You’ll Learn
By the end of the course, you will:
- Understand the current state of biodiversity literature and the trends toward liberating taxonomic data.
- Become familiar with standards and workflows for structuring and annotating biodiversity data (e.g. XML-first, JATS-TaxPub, Golden Gate)
- Practice converting both new and legacy publications into annotated, machine-readable formats.
- Learn how to access, curate, and reuse biodiversity datasets using infrastructures such as TreatmentBank, GBIF, BiodiversityPMC, and others.
- Take the first steps toward becoming a certified contributor to TreatmentBank.
Trainers
The course is led by experts in taxonomy, biodiversity informatics, and open publishing, including:
- Laurence Bénichou – Head of Paris Museum Science Press, liaison for European Journal of Taxonomy
- Chris Le Coquet – Specialist in FAIR biodiversity data workflows at MNHN
- Donat Agosti – Co-founder of Plazi, expert in converting literature into open data
- Julia Giora, Emilie Pasche, Markus Döring – Working across institutions contributing to global biodiversity infrastructures
Practical Details
- Language: English
- Fee: The enrolment in the school is free; participants bear their own travel, accommodation and subsistence costs.
- Deadline for registration: 30 September 2025
- Capacity: 10-20 participants (2 groups)
- Assessment: Short quiz after the online session; short exercises at the end of each practical module.
- Certification:
- Certificate of Attendance by CETAF DEST with 5 ECVET units
- CETAF DEST / Europass Certificate Supplement
Requirements to Participate
Participants should bring:
- A laptop (with an up-to-date operating system)
- Microsoft Word
- Java v. 23
- LibreOffice v. 7.6.5.2 (provided)
- XMLMind v. 9.5.1 (provided)
- Golden Gate Imagine (provided)
If you’re passionate about making biodiversity data more open, reusable, and integrated into modern infrastructures, this course offers you the skills and networks you need. Don’t miss the opportunity!
Register now, before 30 Sept 2025!
For more information and registration, contact dest@cetaf.org.