Evidence map›Paper›PMID 28904766›Full record

ArticleEcology and evolution2017

Temporal degradation of data limits biodiversity research.

Geiziane Tessarolo, Richard Ladle, Thiago Rangel, Joaquin Hortal

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Ecology and evolution, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
12citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

12 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Geiziane TessaroloDepartamento de Ecologia Instituto de Ciências Biológicas Universidade Federal de Goiás Goiânia Brazil.ORCID 0000-0003-1361-0062
Richard LadleICBS Universidade Federal de Alagoas Maceió Brazil.
Thiago RangelDepartamento de Ecologia Instituto de Ciências Biológicas Universidade Federal de Goiás Goiânia Brazil.
Joaquin HortalDepartamento de Ecologia Instituto de Ciências Biológicas Universidade Federal de Goiás Goiânia Brazil.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Spatial and/or temporal biases in biodiversity data can directly influence the utility, comparability, and reliability of ecological and evolutionary studies. While the effects of biased spatial coverage of biodiversity data are relatively well known, temporal variation in data quality (i.e., the congruence between recorded and actual information) has received much less attention. Here, we develop a conceptual framework for understanding the influence of time on biodiversity data quality based on three main processes: (1) the natural dynamics of ecological systems-such as species turnover or local extinction; (2) periodic taxonomic revisions, and; (3) the loss of physical and metadata due to inefficient curation, accidents, or funding shortfalls. Temporal decay in data quality driven by these three processes has fundamental consequences for the usage and comparability of data collected in different time periods. Data decay can be partly ameliorated by adopting standard protocols for generation, storage, and sharing data and metadata. However, some data degradation is unavoidable due to natural variations in ecological systems. Consequently, changes in biodiversity data quality over time need be carefully assessed and, if possible, taken into account when analyzing aging datasets.

Indexed as

biodiversity datadata degradationdata qualitymaps of ignorancespecies distribution modelstemporal decay

Identifiers

PMID28904766
PMCPMC5587493

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.