Darwin Core additions ratified

After an extensive period of development, last month, a Conceptual Model and Data Package Guide have been ratified as additions to the Darwin Core Standard.

The author team, led by John Wieczorek, began development five years ago by creating a model that would satisfy use cases submitted by stakeholders. Following a series of workshops and webinars supported by the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), the model was simplified and tested, with the Conceptual Model document as the result. The Conceptual Model provides the semantics of the relationships between Darwin Core classes, a critical piece that has been missing from the standard since its inception.

Figure 1. An overview of the Darwin Core Conceptual Model. Boxes represent classes and lines represent relationships between classes.

The Darin Core Data Package Guide (DwC-DP) specifies how biodiversity data can be formatted in a manner that describes the relationships among the fields in data tables. By basing these relationships on a common Conceptual Model that is not limited by the “star schema” of the existing Darwin Core Archives system, it will be possible to publish complex data sets whose structure is consistent among data providers. Because the Darwin Core Data Package Guide extends the well-known Data Package specification, the Guide can be used as the basis for developing software tools that will make it easier for data providers to publish and validate their datasets.

A six month public review coordinated by the Darwin Core Maintenance Group resulted in improvements to the draft documents and proposed changes to Darwin Core terms. The additions and changes were ratified by the Executive Committee, with publication on 26 May 2026. Next steps will include adoption of schemas based on the newly adopted documents, followed by development of a GBIF implementation of the Data Package Guide. The Darwin Core Maintenance Group is grateful to the author team, GBIF, the Executive Committee, and the TDWG community for their support during the years that were required to create this significant advance in the capabilities of the Darwin Core standard.

Questions

For more information go to the Darwin Core data standard website. You can reach out to the Darwin Core Maintenance Group for any questions.