The following changes will only be implemented if a new major version of ABCD under a new namespace will be published. Ideally this will involve a far more modular approach towards TDWG standards (XML or otherwise), so the changes proposed below should be understood as notes rather than concrete steps to be taken. In any case, a major version change for ABCD is not expected before 2009.

General issues

Elements containing personal contact information such as e-mail addresses or phone-numbers should have a flag indicating whether the provider allows display of these elements in human readable interfaces such as web pages.

Dataset level

/Datasets/Dataset/ContentContact

Move to

/Datasets/Dataset/Metadata

/Datasets/Dataset/TechnicalContact

Remove (Is not needed in future under TAPIR (part of service metadata section in protocol schema)

/Datasets/Dataset/Metadata/RevisionData/DateModified

Make optional. (problematic because experience shows that providers don't update this field).

/DataSets/DataSet/Metadata/Scope/GeoecologicalTerms/GeoEcologicalTerm

Rename

/DataSets/DataSet/Metadata/Scope/GeoecologicalTerms/GeoecologicalTerm

(for consistency)

Unit level

/DataSets/DataSet/Units/Unit/Gathering/SiteCoordinateSets/SiteCoordinates/CoordinatesLatLon/LongitudeDecimal

Change type to

decimalLongitude

(new type, restricted to +180 to -180)

/DataSets/DataSet/Units/Unit/Gathering/SiteCoordinateSets/SiteCoordinates/CoordinatesLatLon/LatitudeDecimal

Change type to

decimalLatitude

(new type, restricted to +90 to -90)

Changes in types

IPRStatements [type]

TermsOfUseStatements/TermsOfUse

Rename to

TermsOfUseStatements/TermsOfUseStatement

for consistency.

LookupL [type]

attribute

Language

Delete.

Contact [type]

URIs/URL

Delete.

/Datasets/Dataset/Unit/HerbariumUnit/DuplicatesDistributedTo

Delete (superfluous duplicate of

/Datasets/Dataset/Unit/SpecimenUnit/DuplicatesDistributedTo

)

/DataSets/DataSet/Units/Unit/Gathering/Biotope/MeasurementsOrFacts

Delete type (container element should be untyped).

/DataSets/DataSet/Units/Unit/CultureCollectionUnit/ FurtherStepsGrowthConditionAtomised/Temperature@TemperatureTypes

Delete.

/Datasets/Dataset/Unit/SpecimenUnit/Accessions/Accession/ 

Insert as container element for repeatable triple. Move the respective three elements.