Using the site

Instructions for use of GIASIPartnership Gateway

Contents

  1. Using the Site
  2. Logging in and Registering as a Contributor
  3. Using the site for Registered Contributors

1. Using the Site

Most of the site is available to all users, whether they are registered or not.  However, registering on the site allows greater freedom in making comments and sharing information.  To Register see ‘Logging in and Registering as a Contributor’ below.

For those not logged in and Contributors, regular tasks will include:
Viewing pages
Searching the Gateway Contents
Searching web resources
Viewing species pages
Viewing literature pages
The Forum

Discovering Partnership Information

1.1 Viewing pages

Pages are accessed through the tabs along the bottom of the green header bar.  Some of these pages (The Partnership, Information services, Tools) themselves link to other pages; these are listed on the left hand side of each page located under these headings.

The ‘Species’ pages are discussed below.

Links to external resources are highlighted; selecting one should cause a new window to open.

There is an “Add comments” link at the end of many pages.  Using this will enable you to add a comment that can be seen by others (seen by anyone logged in if you are logged in, Editors and the Administrator only if you are not), with your name as author.

1.2 Searching the Gateway contents

There is a Search Box at the top right of the screen.  Radio buttons beneath it allow users to search the whole content of the site or restrict it to ‘Taxonomy’.  The ‘Taxonomy’ selection limits the search to names as they appear on the three Species Lists.  The ‘default’ search is Taxonomy.  If you wish to conduct a general search, select the ‘All’ radio button before entering a term. 

If the term you are typing in is a taxonomic name that is in one of the Species Lists, as you type a selection of possible names will appear in a drop-down menu beneath the Search box.  If the name you are searching for is on the list, select the name from the list and it will appear in the Search Box.  When the term is in the Search Box click on the Search button, and the results will appear in the main screen. 

1.3 Searching Web Resources

The Gateway includes links to more than 600 internet-based resources related to Invasive Alien Species, each of which may lead you to further information.  Because of the large number of these resources locating the ones most relevant to your needs can be difficult.  Two means of locating them are provided:

  1. By means of the menus.  Click on one of the two Tabs: ‘Information Services’ or ‘Tools’.  The page that opens contains all of the Web Resources under that heading, and you can scroll down to inspect all of them.  To refine the search  select one of the menu item on the left hand side of the screen, which will display sites with that content.  Many sites of course contain more than one content type, and so will appear in more than ne menu.
  2. Web Resources Search.  Select the Web Resources Search tab. All web resources are listed, and to carry out a search simply enter a desired term in the search box.  This will search the titles, descriptive text and a set of key terms that have been applied, including content type, biome, sector (e.g. forestry, biocontrol etc) and geographical terms.  While many countries are listed in the last of these, countries are not listed separately in global and regional resources. 

1.4 Viewing the Species pages

There are three sets of Species Pages: Animal Species, Plant and Fungal Species and Bacteria and Virus Species.  Each behaves in the same way. 

Any term in the lists may be found using the Search Box at the top of the screen with the Taxonomy radio button selected, as described above.  A search will open the taxon page required.

Alternatively each tree can be navigated by selecting the ‘+’ to the left of the name on the left of the screen.  Once the tree is open to the desired taxon clicking on the name will open the taxon page. 

When a taxon page is open on the main, right hand panel of the screen are a set of tabs:

Overview - Shows the name and its taxonomic status. A block with images will also appear on this page if images have been uploaded to the site.  In many cases it also shows the IAS database(s) in which the name is to be found and in some cases links to the pages in those databases.

Descriptions – This carries out automatic searches of three external sites: Encyclopedia of Life, IUCN Red List and NCBI (for genetic information).  The content from EoL itself can come from a number of different sources.  Note that it shows the CC or other licence that applies to each element.   GIASIPartnership has no responsibility for the accuracy of the information provided.

Media – Images sourced from EoL

Literature – This carries out automatic searches of Biodiversity Heritage Library and Google Scholar; clicking on the link will deliver for BHL the relevant pages, and on the Google Scholar links whatever the source is.  In addition, references sourced from the Literature list on the site (see below) will be displayed , where these are tagged with the species name, although in most cases the link has not been made. 

Maps – Currently not enabled.

Specimens – would show content only if specimen data had been uploaded to the site.

1.5 Viewing the Literature Pages (Literature Tab)

This opens a bibliography of papers related to IAS.  The default order is by Author then Year, but the references can also be sorted by Year or Title using the top bar.  Selecting the title of a reference will open the complete record.

1.6 The Forum Tab

The Forum page is used for discussions.  Users can contribute to an existing discussion or create a new one.  Users can also set up an RSS feed to alert themselves to new posts.

1.7 The Partnership Tab

This tab explains the Partnership and its programme of work.  In addition to the links to documents and materials related to the 2013 Partnership Workshop, there are two other pages reached from this tab – News and Events. 

1.7.1 The Events  Page

Events entered onto the calendar can be seen on any of the relevant tabs.  To add an Event, if you are a Contributor follow the instructions below under ‘Adding an Event’.  If you are not a Contributor please sent a message to the Administrator using the ‘Contact us’ link. 

1.7.2 The News Page

This displays news items uploaded by Contributors and an RSS feed from CABI.

2. Logging in and registering

Most of the site is available to all users, whether they are registered or not.  However, registering on the site allows greater freedom in making comments and sharing information.

If you are not yet registered for the site, select ‘Log in’ on the top right of your screen, then ‘Create a new account’ and complete the form that is then created.  This will automatically be forwarded to the administrator, who will authorise your account. 

If you are registered, Log in using the ‘Log in’ tab at the top right of the screen and enter your username and password. 

Most new users are given rights to add comments to pages which are visible to anyone logged in, but they will not be able change existing content.  They will also have the ability to add new content to the site, although this has to be approved by the site Administrator before it is visible to other users.

3. Using the site for Registered Contributors

Contributors will see the basic content visible to anyone not logged in, but will have access to additional features on the pages and have access to controls through the menu that opens on a black bar at the top of the page.  This menu contains three items: Dashboard, Content and Import. 

3.1. Dashboard

This shows recent and current activities on the site, including the screen names of those logged on.

3.2. Content

This screen allows the Contributor to add content to a variety of components.  The list of content types is on the left of the screen (Fig. 1).

In each case editorial access is denied to all but items the Contributor has uploaded themselves, so they cannot edit or delete them.  However, Contributors can use this screen to add items of most categories.  In most cases addition can by individual item or importing files in particular formats.  The ‘Import’ screen also allows batch import.  I will provide additional help for this feature.

Fig. 1.  Screenshot of Content Screen.  The Content Types are as follows: Biblio (list of references); Blog Entry (every user gets a personal blogs); Event (calendar of events); Forum topic (starts a new discussion within the forum); Media gallery (upload media, or select media already uploaded to display together in a gallery); Page (basic pages for static content); Taxon description (Based on the TDWG/EoL Species Profile Model); Webform (create a new form or questionnaire accessible to users.  Submission results and statistics are recorded and accessible to privileged users); Comments (view comments on the site); Files (Other); Audio files; Images; Text; Video.

3.2.1.  Adding an event

Contributors can be added to the calendar using the following steps:

•             From the top (black) bar select ‘Content’.

•             On the row ‘Event’ select ‘Add’

•             Enter beginning and end dates

•             Include any details in the ‘Body’ field

•             Select ‘Save’ at the bottom of the page.

•             When the changes have been saved (a message will appear at the top of the page) close the editing page by the ‘X’ at the top right or by selecting ‘Home’ at the top left.

Anyone not logged in cannot make additions to the Calendar.

3.3.2.  Adding references to the Literature Pages

Contributors can add references to the Bibliography either singly or by importing a larger bibliography (see below). 

  • From the top bar of any page select ‘Content’.
  • For adding single records, on the row ‘Biblio’ (See under ‘Files’) select ‘Add’
    • Files can be uploaded on the page that opens.
    • Records can be added if they are in RIS or BibTex format using the first two bars on the screen.
    • Records can be searched using DOI and automatically populated using the third bar on the screen
    • Records can be looked up in PubMed and imported using the fourth bar on the screen.
    • If a record is to be added manually ‘Select Record Type’ should be used to create a record with the appropriate fields.  Once the record type is identified a form will open with the relevant fields and tabs (on the left-hand side of the page) to the different field classes.  A copy of the paper can be uploaded using the ‘File Attachments’ control below the form; this copy will be accessible to site users, so caution should be taken to avoid uploading papers with copyright protection.
    • Selecting ‘Save’ will save the record.
  • For importing multiple records, on the row ‘Biblio’ (See under ‘Files’) select ‘Import’
    • Select the file type using the drop-down menu (BibTex, Endnote XML etc)
    • Browse to add the file for import
    • Select ‘Import’ at the foot of the page.
    • If a record duplicates one already in the bibliography it will not replace it, but will need to be deleted later.

3.3. Import

If you wish to import content other than bibliographic records please contact the Administrator.


Scratchpads developed and conceived by (alphabetical): Ed Baker, Katherine Bouton Alice Heaton Dimitris Koureas, Laurence Livermore, Dave Roberts, Simon Rycroft, Ben Scott, Vince Smith