Search Interfaces for Biodiversity Informatics

University Of Maryland, College Park, College Park MD

Investigators

Abstract

This project will build information retrieval interfaces for the rapidly expanding but virtually unstudied domain of biodiversity databases. An understanding of the nature and magnitude of biological diversity is fundamental to most pressing environmental and conservation debates. Biodiversity databases contain organism-related information such as distribution, taxonomy, natural history, and conservation data. This project will combine information visualization techniques and rapid feedback dynamic query interfaces coupled with an aggressive approach of working with representative users at all levels, from design through evaluation. It will also utilize zoomable interfaces to allow users to navigate multiple hierarchies, in order to visually accommodate highly interconnected data. The goals of the project are: * To develop a searching interface for biodiversity databases targeting domain-novice adults. * To build interfaces combining "folk" and "scientific" understanding. * To evaluate the developed interfaces and compare them to existing interface models in the biodiversity domain.