DIGIT-KEY: an aid towards uniform 2D+ and 3D digitisation techniques within natural history collections

Natural History institutes hold an immense number of specimens and artefacts. For years these collections were not accessible online, remaining inaccessible to researchers from far away and hidden from the general public. Large digitisation projects and cross-institutional agreements aim to bring t...

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Main Authors: Jonathan Brecko, Aurore Mathys, Eva Chatzinikolaou, Kleoniki Keklikoglou, Jonathan Blettery, Laura Green, Alicia Musson, Alan Paton, Sarah Phillips, Markus Bastir, Karin Wiltschke, Heimo Rainer, Andreas Kroh, Elspeth Haston, Patrick Semal
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Consortium of European Natural History Museums 2025-02-01
Series:European Journal of Taxonomy
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Online Access:https://europeanjournaloftaxonomy.eu/index.php/ejt/article/view/2797
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author Jonathan Brecko
Aurore Mathys
Eva Chatzinikolaou
Kleoniki Keklikoglou
Jonathan Blettery
Laura Green
Alicia Musson
Alan Paton
Sarah Phillips
Markus Bastir
Karin Wiltschke
Heimo Rainer
Andreas Kroh
Elspeth Haston
Patrick Semal
author_facet Jonathan Brecko
Aurore Mathys
Eva Chatzinikolaou
Kleoniki Keklikoglou
Jonathan Blettery
Laura Green
Alicia Musson
Alan Paton
Sarah Phillips
Markus Bastir
Karin Wiltschke
Heimo Rainer
Andreas Kroh
Elspeth Haston
Patrick Semal
author_sort Jonathan Brecko
collection DOAJ
description Natural History institutes hold an immense number of specimens and artefacts. For years these collections were not accessible online, remaining inaccessible to researchers from far away and hidden from the general public. Large digitisation projects and cross-institutional agreements aim to bring their collections into the digital era, such as the SYNTHESYS+ project and the Distributed System of Scientific Collections (DiSSCo) Research Infrastructure. As specimens are 3D physical objects with different characteristics many techniques are available to 3D digitise them. For inexperienced users this can be quite overwhelming. Which techniques are already well tested in other institutions and are suitable for a specific specimen or collection? To investigate this, we have set up a dichotomous identification key for digitisation techniques: DIGIT-KEY, (https://digit.naturalheritage.be/digit-key). For each technique, examples used in SYNTHESYS+ Institutions are visualised and training manuals provided. All information can be easily updated and representatives can be contacted if necessary to request more information about a certain technique. This key can be helpful to achieve comparable results across institutions when digitising collections on demand in future DiSSCo research initiatives coordinated through the European Loans and Visits System (ELViS) for Virtual and Transnational Access.
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institution DOAJ
issn 2118-9773
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publishDate 2025-02-01
publisher Consortium of European Natural History Museums
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spelling doaj-art-30440d7d572940ecbc3c6951253eca722025-08-20T02:45:15ZengConsortium of European Natural History MuseumsEuropean Journal of Taxonomy2118-97732025-02-01976110.5852/ejt.2025.976.2797DIGIT-KEY: an aid towards uniform 2D+ and 3D digitisation techniques within natural history collectionsJonathan Brecko0Aurore Mathys1Eva Chatzinikolaou2Kleoniki Keklikoglou3Jonathan Blettery4Laura Green5Alicia Musson6Alan Paton7Sarah Phillips8Markus Bastir9Karin Wiltschke10Heimo Rainer11Andreas Kroh12Elspeth Haston13Patrick Semal14Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Vautierstraat 29, B-1000 Brussels, BelgiumRoyal Museum for Central Africa, Leuvensesteenweg 12, B-3080 Tervuren, BelgiumHellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR), Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture (IMBBC), Heraklion, Crete, GreeceHellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR), Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture (IMBBC), Heraklion, Crete, GreeceMuséum national d’Histoire naturelle, 57 rue Cuvier, 75005 Paris, FranceRoyal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond TW9 3AE, UKRoyal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond TW9 3AE, UKRoyal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond TW9 3AE, UKRoyal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond TW9 3AE, UKMuseo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales – Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, José Gutiérrez Abascal, 2, 28006, Madrid, SpainNaturhistorisches Museum Wien, Burgring 7, 1010 Vienna, AustriaNaturhistorisches Museum Wien, Burgring 7, 1010 Vienna, AustriaNaturhistorisches Museum Wien, Burgring 7, 1010 Vienna, AustriaThe Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, 20a Inverleith Row, Edinburgh EH3 5LR, UKRoyal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Vautierstraat 29, B-1000 Brussels, Belgium Natural History institutes hold an immense number of specimens and artefacts. For years these collections were not accessible online, remaining inaccessible to researchers from far away and hidden from the general public. Large digitisation projects and cross-institutional agreements aim to bring their collections into the digital era, such as the SYNTHESYS+ project and the Distributed System of Scientific Collections (DiSSCo) Research Infrastructure. As specimens are 3D physical objects with different characteristics many techniques are available to 3D digitise them. For inexperienced users this can be quite overwhelming. Which techniques are already well tested in other institutions and are suitable for a specific specimen or collection? To investigate this, we have set up a dichotomous identification key for digitisation techniques: DIGIT-KEY, (https://digit.naturalheritage.be/digit-key). For each technique, examples used in SYNTHESYS+ Institutions are visualised and training manuals provided. All information can be easily updated and representatives can be contacted if necessary to request more information about a certain technique. This key can be helpful to achieve comparable results across institutions when digitising collections on demand in future DiSSCo research initiatives coordinated through the European Loans and Visits System (ELViS) for Virtual and Transnational Access. https://europeanjournaloftaxonomy.eu/index.php/ejt/article/view/2797digitisationnatural history collectionsDigital twinvirtual collections3D
spellingShingle Jonathan Brecko
Aurore Mathys
Eva Chatzinikolaou
Kleoniki Keklikoglou
Jonathan Blettery
Laura Green
Alicia Musson
Alan Paton
Sarah Phillips
Markus Bastir
Karin Wiltschke
Heimo Rainer
Andreas Kroh
Elspeth Haston
Patrick Semal
DIGIT-KEY: an aid towards uniform 2D+ and 3D digitisation techniques within natural history collections
European Journal of Taxonomy
digitisation
natural history collections
Digital twin
virtual collections
3D
title DIGIT-KEY: an aid towards uniform 2D+ and 3D digitisation techniques within natural history collections
title_full DIGIT-KEY: an aid towards uniform 2D+ and 3D digitisation techniques within natural history collections
title_fullStr DIGIT-KEY: an aid towards uniform 2D+ and 3D digitisation techniques within natural history collections
title_full_unstemmed DIGIT-KEY: an aid towards uniform 2D+ and 3D digitisation techniques within natural history collections
title_short DIGIT-KEY: an aid towards uniform 2D+ and 3D digitisation techniques within natural history collections
title_sort digit key an aid towards uniform 2d and 3d digitisation techniques within natural history collections
topic digitisation
natural history collections
Digital twin
virtual collections
3D
url https://europeanjournaloftaxonomy.eu/index.php/ejt/article/view/2797
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