Guidelines for Acceptable Use of Data
Recommended Citation Formats
Use one of the following formats to cite data retrieved from the Sandbox network:
General Citation
Biodiversity occurrence data published by: Sandbox (accessed through the Sandbox Portal, sandbox.symbiota.org, 2024-12-26).
Usage of occurrence data from specific institutions
Access each collection profile page to find the available citation formats.
Example
Name of Institution or Collection. Occurrence dataset (ID: ) https://sandbox.symbiota.org/portal/content/dwca/NIC_DwC-A.zip accessed via the Sandbox Portal, sandbox.symbiota.org, 2024-12-26).
Glossary
Please cite this portal's glossary as:
Sandbox. Glossary. https://sandbox.symbiota.orgglossary/index.php. Accessed: 2024-12-26.
Occurrence Record Use Policy
- While Sandbox will make every effort possible to control and document the quality of the data it publishes, the data are made available "as is". Any report of errors in the data should be directed to the appropriate curators and/or collections managers.
- Sandbox cannot assume responsibility for damages resulting from misuse or misinterpretation of datasets or from errors or omissions that may exist in the data.
- It is considered a matter of professional ethics to cite and acknowledge the work of other scientists that has resulted in data used in subsequent research. We encourages users to contact the original investigator responsible for the data that they are accessing.
- Sandbox asks that users not redistribute data obtained from this site without permission for data owners. However, links or references to this site may be freely posted.
Images
Images within this website have been generously contributed by their owners to promote education and research. These contributors retain the full copyright for their images. Unless stated otherwise, images are made available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA). Users are allowed to copy, transmit, reuse, and/or adapt content, as long as attribution regarding the source of the content is made. If the content is altered, transformed, or enhanced, it may be re-distributed only under the same or similar license by which it was acquired.
Notes on Specimen Records and Images
Specimens are used for scientific research and because of skilled preparation and careful use they may last for hundreds of years. Some collections have specimens that were collected over 100 years ago that are no longer occur within the area. By making these specimens available on the web as images, their availability and value improves without an increase in inadvertent damage caused by use. Note that if you are considering making specimens, remember collecting normally requires permission of the landowner and, in the case of rare and endangered plants, additional permits may be required. It is best to coordinate such efforts with a regional institution that manages a publicly accessible collection.
Disclaimer: This data portal may contain specimens and historical records that are culturally sensitive. The collections include specimens dating back over 200 years collected from all around the world. Some records may also include offensive language. These records do not reflect the portal community's current viewpoint but rather the social attitudes and circumstances of the time period when specimens were collected or cataloged.