Empowering experts to unlock the full potential of SPECIFY
SPECIFY course is a powerful and highly adaptable system for managing biological and geological collections. This CETAF-DEST course allows institutions to tailor their collection management environment to their unique workflows and data needs, improving efficiency and usability.
However, with flexibility comes complexity. This four-day advanced workshop is designed for experienced SPECIFY users who want to deepen their understanding of the system and fully harness its capabilities. Participants will explore both foundational and advanced concepts to optimize their SPECIFY instance and streamline institutional data management.
Workshop Overview
The SPECIFY course begins with an in-depth discussion of SPECIFY’s setup options and the implications of configuration decisions. It then progresses into advanced topics including:
- Data and record relationships
- Bulk data entry and modification
- System customization
- Data querying and export
- Troubleshooting and workflow optimization
Trainers on SPECIFY course
Theresa Miller (ORCID)
Membership and Fulfillment Officer, SPECIFY Collections Consortium (SCC)
Theresa holds Master’s degrees in Archaeology and Public Affairs and has over 15 years of experience supporting hundreds of collections worldwide. She specializes in guiding institutions through efficient data migration, import/export strategies, and workflow design tailored to SPECIFY.
Grant Fitzsimmons (ORCID)
Technical Support Manager, SPECIFY Collections Consortium (SCC)
Grant has supported the migration of hundreds of thousands of biological and geological records into SPECIFY. He works closely with collection managers around the globe to design effective data workflows, solve complex technical challenges, and provide targeted support that bridges institutional needs with SPECIFY’s capabilities.
Training Details of SPECIFY course
Dates: 9 – 12 December 2025 (40 hours)
Location: National Museum of Natural History (CSIC), Madrid
Address: Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, c. José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid
Transport: Buses 7, 12, 14, 27, 40, 45, 147, 150 | Metro lines 7 & 10 (Gregorio Marañón) | Train: Nuevos Ministerios
Language: English
Target Audience
This workshop is intended for professionals with administrative or database management roles in biodiversity or earth science collections. Participants should have extensive prior experience with the SPECIFY management system and preferably be involved in training or supervising other users at institutions that are using or adopting SPECIFY.
Fees for SPECIFY course
- €250 — in-person attendance (includes lunch and coffee breaks for all four days)
- €80 — online participation
Fee waivers or reductions may be available depending on funding availability.
Registration deadline: Friday, 31 October 2025
Assessment
Participants will complete:
- Assigned hands-on exercises
- Case-based problem solving
Participant quota: 15–25 trainees
SPECIFY course training format
- Theoretical modules (online and in-person lectures)
- Practical, face-to-face sessions
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, participants will:
- Have an in-depth understanding of SPECIFY setup, customization, and functionality
- Know how to make their data more findable, accessible, and manageable
- Be able to resolve complex issues independently or collaborate more effectively with the SPECIFY Help Desk
- Be equipped to train and support other SPECIFY users within their institutions
Certification
Participants will receive:
- SPECIFY CMS Collection Data Administrator Certificate
- Certificate of Attendance (CETAF DEST, equivalent to 1.6 ECTS/ECVET units)
What to bring
- Laptop with internet connectivity (Eduroam preferred)
- Optional: a working web test instance of your SPECIFY database, accessible at least to you
Registration
To register, complete the registration form and send any questions to: dest@cetaf.org