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Characterizing the Vector Data Ecosystem

Twelve databases are shown by their name, with arrows indicating how the databases are connected. Colors have no meaning. Starting at the top and moving clockwise, the databases are BISON, Bug Guide, G.B.I.F., I Dig Bio, I Naturalist, NEON, SCAN, T.P.T., Vector Base, Vector Byte, Vector Map, and Vert Net. G.B.I.F. and SCAN are the two major data aggregators. Vector Byte and Vector Map do not currently export data to other platforms.
Conceptual diagram showing connections between fully accessible databases of vector occurrence, highlighting the many pathways for data digitization and sharing. Vector databases are shown as diamonds, and databases that are inclusive of other taxa shown as circles; databases that do not currently export data to other platforms are shown with hashed fill, and bold outlines indicate major data aggregators. Note that connections indicate the availability of data products, and not necessarily direct data transfer events between platforms.

LIPPI, RYAN – Characterizing the Vector Data Ecosystem

Catherine Lippi, Samuel Rund, Sadie Ryan

Article first published online: 8 February 2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/jme/tjad009

ABSTRACT: A growing body of information on vector-borne diseases has arisen as increasing research focus has been directed towards the need for anticipating risk, optimizing surveillance, and understanding the fundamental biology of vector-borne diseases to direct control and mitigation efforts. The scope and scale of this information, in the form of data, comprising database efforts, data storage, and serving approaches, means that it is distributed across many formats and data types. Data ranges from collections records to molecular characterization, geospatial data to interactions of vectors and traits, infection experiments to field trials. New initiatives arise, often spanning the effort traditionally siloed in specific research disciplines, and other efforts wane, perhaps in response to funding declines, different research directions, or lack of sustained interest. Thusly, the world of vector data – the Vector Data Ecosystem – can become unclear in scope, and the flows of data through these various efforts can become stymied by obsolescence, or simply by gaps in access and interoperability. As increasing attention is paid to creating FAIR (Findable Accessible Interoperable, and Reusable) data, simply characterizing what is ‘out there’, and how these existing data aggregation and collection efforts interact, or interoperate with each other, is a useful exercise. This study presents a snapshot of current vector data efforts, reporting on level of accessibility, and commenting on interoperability using an illustration to track a specimen through the data ecosystem to understand where it occurs for the database efforts anticipated to describe it (or parts of its extended specimen data).

Read the full publication at the Journal of Medical Entomology.