Guidelines for Acceptable Use of Data
Recommended Citation Formats
Use one of the following formats to cite data retrieved from the SERNEC network:
General Citation:
SERNEC Data Portal. 2023. http//:www.sernecportal.org/index.php. Accessed on May 31.
Usage of occurrence data from specific institutions:
Biodiversity occurrence data published by: <List of Collections>
(Accessed through SERNEC Data Portal,
http//:www.sernecportal.org/index.php, YYYY-MM-DD)
For example:
Biodiversity occurrence data published by: Appalachian State University - I. W. Carpenter, Jr. Herbarium, Auburn University - John D. Freeman Herbarium, and University of South Carolina - A. C. Moore Herbarium (Accessed through SERNEC Data Portal, http//:www.sernecportal.org/index.php, 2023-05-31)
For example:
Biodiversity occurrence data published by: Appalachian State University - I. W. Carpenter, Jr. Herbarium, Auburn University - John D. Freeman Herbarium, and University of South Carolina - A. C. Moore Herbarium (Accessed through SERNEC Data Portal, http//:www.sernecportal.org/index.php, 2023-05-31)
Occurrence Records
- While SERNEC 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.
- SERNEC cannot assume responsibility for damages resulting from mis-use or mis-interpretation of datasets or from errors or omissions that may exist in the data.
- It is considered a matter of professional ethics to acknowledge the work of other scientists that has resulted in data used in subsequent research.
- SERNEC expects that any use of data from this server will be accompanied with the appropriate citations and acknowledgments.
- SERNEC encourages users to contact the original investigator responsible for the data that they are accessing. Where appropriate, researchers whose projects are integrally dependent on particular group of specimen data are encouraged to consider collaboration and/or co-authorship with original investigators.
- SERNEC asks that users not redistribute data obtained from this site. 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 "Fair Use"
provision of the U.S. Copyright Law (
http://www.copyright.gov/). They may be used
only for personal or educational use and are NOT available for commercial use unless
permission is first obtained from the copyright holder. If any image is used in a
non-commercial publication, report, or as a web link, one must credit the photographer
as well as the name of the website hosting the image. If you have any doubt or
questions regarding the use of an image, contact the author or the site manager.
Notes on Specimen 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
local institution that manages a publically accessable collection.
