Ten (mostly) simple rules to future‐proof trait data in ecological and evolutionary sciences
Methods in Ecology and Evolution, vol. 14, pp. 444–458
Abstract
Abstract Traits have become a crucial part of ecological and evolutionary sciences, helping researchers understand the function of an organism's morphology, physiology, growth and life history, with effects on fitness, behaviour, interactions with the environment and ecosystem processes. However, measuring, compiling and analysing trait data comes with data‐scientific challenges. We offer 10 (mostly) simple rules, with some detailed extensions, as a guide in making critical decisions that consider the entire life cycle of trait data. This article is particularly motivated by its last rule, that is, to propagate good practice. It has the intention of bringing awareness of how data on the traits of organisms can be collected and managed for reuse by the research community. Trait observations are relevant to a broad interdisciplinary community of field biologists, synthesis ecologists, evolutionary biologists, computer scientists and database managers. We hope these basic guidelines can be useful as a starter for active communication in disseminating such integrative knowledge and in how to make trait data future‐proof. We invite the scientific community to participate in this effort at http://opentraits.org/best‐practices.html .
Authors 21
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Alexander Keller corresponding
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
Affiliation as printed
Cellular and Organismic Networks, Faculty of Biology Ludwig‐Maximilians‐Universität München Martinsried Germany
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Affiliation as printed
Center for Computational and Theoretical Biology Julius‐Maximilians‐Universität Würzburg Würzburg Germany
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German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research · Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg
Affiliation as printed
German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐Leipzig Leipzig Germany
Institute of Biology/Geobotany and Botanical Garden Martin Luther University Halle‐Wittenberg Halle (Saale) Germany
German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
Institute of Biology/Geobotany and Botanical Garden, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
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Affiliation as printed
Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ), InnovOcean Site Oostende Belgium
Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ), InnovOcean Site, Oostende, Belgium
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Santa Fe Institute · University of Arizona
Affiliation as printed
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Arizona Tucson Arizona USA
The Santa Fe Institute Santa Fe New Mexico USA
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
The Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
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Ferdowsi University of Mashhad
Affiliation as printed
Department of Biology, Faculty of Science Ferdowsi University of Mashhad Mashhad Iran
Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
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Affiliation as printed
Evolution & Ecology Research Centre University of New South Wales Sydney Sydney New South Wales Australia
Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, University of New South Wales Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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Affiliation as printed
Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment Western Sydney University Richmond New South Wales Australia
Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond, New South Wales, Australia
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Smithsonian Institution · National Museum of Natural History
Affiliation as printed
National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution Washington District of Columbia USA
National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
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German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research · Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry
Affiliation as printed
German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐Leipzig Leipzig Germany
Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry Jena Germany
German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany
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Technical University of Munich
Affiliation as printed
Plant‐Insect Interactions, TUM School of Life Science Systems Technical University of Munich Freising Germany
Plant-Insect Interactions, TUM School of Life Science Systems, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
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University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa · Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology
Affiliation as printed
Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology University of Hawai'i at Manoa Kāne'ohe Hawai'i USA
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University at Buffalo, State University of New York
Affiliation as printed
Department of Environment and Sustainability University at Buffalo Buffalo New York USA
Department of Geography University at Buffalo Buffalo New York USA
Department of Environment and Sustainability, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA
Department of Geography, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA
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Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre
Affiliation as printed
Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Center (SBik‐F) Frankfurt Germany
Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Center (SBik-F), Frankfurt, Germany
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Renske E. Onstein Aachen Naturalis Biodiversity Center Leiden The Netherlands Naturalis Biodiversity Center
Naturalis Biodiversity Center · German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research
Affiliation as printed
German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐Leipzig Leipzig Germany
Naturalis Biodiversity Center Leiden The Netherlands
German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London Ascot UK
Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Ascot, UK
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University of California, Santa Barbara · Ronin Institute
Affiliation as printed
Cheadle Center for Biodiversity and Ecological Restoration, UC Santa Barbara Santa Barbara California USA
Ronin Institute for Independent Scholarship Montclair New Jersey USA
Cheadle Center for Biodiversity and Ecological Restoration, UC Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, USA
Ronin Institute for Independent Scholarship, Montclair, New Jersey, USA
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Zoology University of Oxford Oxford UK
Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre · Institute for Social-Ecological Research
Affiliation as printed
ISOE ‐ Institute for Social‐Ecological Research Frankfurt am Main Germany
Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Center (SBik‐F) Frankfurt Germany
ISOE - Institute for Social-Ecological Research, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Center (SBik-F), Frankfurt, Germany
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Affiliation as printed
Centre for Ecosystem Science, School of Biological Earth and Environmental Sciences University of New South Wales Sydney New South Wales Australia
Centre for Ecosystem Science, School of Biological Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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Caterina Penone corresponding
Affiliation as printed
Institute of Plant Sciences University of Bern Bern Switzerland
Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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