Skip to content

Specify Software Project

Personal tools
You are here: Home » What is Specify? » Data Dictionary

Specify Data Dictionary

Document Actions
The document contains a complete list of all Specify's data tables and fields. It is intended as a technical reference. It can also be helpful, however, in understanding the scope and usage of certain attributes. When you have a question like "where does this information fit in", reading the attribute description of related attributes may help.

This document is about 56 printed pages and was generated by the Diversity Model Documenter (v1.7) available under a GNU General Public License (v2) from Dr. Gregor Hagedorn, Federal Biological Research Center for Agriculture and Forestry, Berlin, Germany. We gratefully acknowledge the use of his software.

Index to Specify Data Tables

Accession, AccessionAgents, AccessionAuthorizations, Address, Agent, AgentAddress, Authors, BiologicalObjectAttributes, BiologicalObjectRelation, BiologicalObjectRelationType, Borrow, BorrowAgents, BorrowMaterial, BorrowReturnMaterial, BorrowShipments, CatalogSeries, CatalogSeriesDefinition, CollectingEvent, Collection, CollectionObject, CollectionObjectCatalog, CollectionObjectCitation, CollectionObjectType, CollectionTaxonomyTypes, Collectors, DATAVIEWS, Deaccession, DeaccessionAgents, DeaccessionCollectionObject, Determination, DeterminationCitation, ExchangeIn, ExchangeOut, Geography, GeologicTimeBoundary, GeologicTimePeriod, GroupPersons, Habitat, Image, ImageAgents, ImageCollectionObjects, ImageLocalities, Journal, Loan, LoanAgents, LoanPhysicalObject, LoanReturnPhysicalObject, Locality, LocalityCitation, Observation, OtherIdentifier, Permit, Preparation, Project, ProjectCollectionObjects, ReferenceWork, REPORTS, Shipment, Sound, SoundEventStorage, Stratigraphy, TaxonCitation, TaxonName, TaxonomicUnitType, TaxonomyType.

Accession

Information about a collection's accessions.

Attributes and indices of the entity 'Accession'
Name Type Description / Default value & validation Rqrd./Index
AccessionID Autonumber Primary key.
Default value: GenUniqueID()
- I (U)
CollectionID Long Collection making the accession. R I/I (UM)
Number Text (30) A user-visible identifier of the Accession. Typically an integer, but may include alphanumeric characters as prefix, suffix, and separators. R I
Status Text (30) Status of Accession, e.g. 'In process', 'Complete' ...
validation message: List.
- -
Type Text (30) Source of Accession, e.g. 'Collecting', 'Gift', 'Bequest' ...
validation message: List.
- -
VerbatimDate Text (50) accomodates historical accessions. - -
DateAccessioned Long Date of Accession. - I
DateReceived Long Date material was received. - -
Text1 Text (50) User definable. - -
Text2 Text (50) User definable. - -
Text3 Text (50) User definable. - -
Number1 Single User definable. - I
Number2 Single User definable. - I
Remarks Memo Comments. - -
TimestampCreated Date/Time Default value: Now() - -
TimestampModified Date/Time Default value: Now() - I
LastEditedBy Text (50) Login name of user who last edited the record. - I
StatusID Long Link to Lookup table for Status. - I
TypeID Long Link to Lookup table for Type. - I
YesNo1 Integer   - -
YesNo2 Integer   - -
Index name:  Attributes & index properties
{32B88AE3-69C6-11D2-A962-00...:  CollectionID (Duplicates OK)
CandidateKey:  CollectionID; Number (Unique values)
DateAccessioned:  DateAccessioned (Duplicates OK)
LastEditedBy:  LastEditedBy (Duplicates OK)
Number:  Number (Duplicates OK)
Number1:  Number1 (Duplicates OK)
Number2:  Number2 (Duplicates OK)
PrimaryKey:  AccessionID (Primary key; Unique values)
StatusID:  StatusID (Duplicates OK)
TimestampModified:  TimestampModified (Duplicates OK)
TypeID:  TypeID (Duplicates OK)
Relation type:  Fields involved
Deletions cascade  Accession.AccessionID ? AccessionAgents.AccessionID
Deletions cascade  Accession.AccessionID ? AccessionAuthorizations.AccessionID
Referential integrity  Accession.AccessionID ? CollectionObjectCatalog.AccessionID
Referential integrity  Collection.CollectionID ? Accession.CollectionID

AccessionAgents

Associates agents with accessions.

Attributes and indices of the entity 'AccessionAgents'
Name Type Description / Default value & validation Rqrd./Index
AccessionAgentsID Autonumber Default value: GenUniqueID() - I (U)
AccessionID Long Accession in which the Agent played a role. R I/I (UM)
AgentAddressID Long AgentAdress of agent playing role in Accession. R I
Role Text (50) Role the agent played in the accession process.
validation message: List.
R -
Remarks Memo   - -
TimestampModified Date/Time Default value: Now() - -
TimestampCreated Date/Time Default value: Now() - -
LastEditedBy Text (50)   - -
RoleID Long Link to Lookup table for Role. - I
Index name:  Attributes & index properties
{32B88AB5-69C6-11D2-A962-00...:  AccessionID (Duplicates OK)
{32B88AB9-69C6-11D2-A962-00...:  AgentAddressID (Duplicates OK)
AccessionAgentsID:  AccessionAgentsID (Primary key; Unique values)
CandidateKey:  AccessionID; AgentAddressID; Role (Unique values)
RoleID:  RoleID (Duplicates OK)
Relation type:  Fields involved
Deletions cascade  Accession.AccessionID ? AccessionAgents.AccessionID
Referential integrity  AgentAddress.AgentAddressID ? AccessionAgents.AgentAddressID

AccessionAuthorizations

Associates permits with accessions.

Attributes and indices of the entity 'AccessionAuthorizations'
Name Type Description / Default value & validation Rqrd./Index
AccessionAuthorizationsID Autonumber Default value: GenUniqueID() - I (U)
AccessionID Long Accession authorized by permit. R I/I (UM)
PermitID Long Permit authorizing accession. R I
Remarks Memo   - -
TimestampModified Date/Time Default value: Now() - -
TimestampCreated Date/Time Default value: Now() - -
LastEditedBy Text (50)   - -
Index name:  Attributes & index properties
{32B88AB6-69C6-11D2-A962-00...:  AccessionID (Duplicates OK)
{32B88B19-69C6-11D2-A962-00...:  PermitID (Duplicates OK)
AccessionAuthorizationsID:  AccessionAuthorizationsID (Unique values)
PrimaryKey:  AccessionID; PermitID (Primary key; Unique values)
Relation type:  Fields involved
Deletions cascade  Accession.AccessionID ? AccessionAuthorizations.AccessionID
Referential integrity  Permit.PermitID ? AccessionAuthorizations.PermitID

Address

Addresses of persons and organizations.

Attributes and indices of the entity 'Address'
Name Type Description / Default value & validation Rqrd./Index
AddressID Autonumber PrimaryKey.
Default value: GenUniqueID()
- I (U)
Address Memo Address as it should appear on mailing labels. R -
City Text (32)   - -
State Text (32)   - -
Country Text (32)   - -
Postalcode Text (32)   - I
Remarks Memo   - -
TimestampModified Date/Time Default value: Now() - -
TimestampCreated Date/Time Default value: Now() - -
LastEditedBy Text (50)   - -
Index name:  Attributes & index properties
AddressID:  AddressID (Primary key; Unique values)
Postalcode:  Postalcode (Duplicates OK)
Relation type:  Fields involved
Referential integrity  Address.AddressID ? AgentAddress.AddressID

Agent

Information about people, groups, and organizations.

Attributes and indices of the entity 'Agent'
Name Type Description / Default value & validation Rqrd./Index
AgentID Autonumber Primary key.
Default value: GenUniqueID()
- I (U)
AgentType Byte Discriminator between Organization(0), Person(1),Other(2), and Group(3).
Default value: 1
R -
FirstName Text (50) of Person. - -
LastName Text (50) of Person. - I
MiddleInitial Text (1) of Person. - -
Title Text (50) of Person. - -
Interests Text (255) of Person or Organization. - -
Abbreviation Text (50) of organization. - I
Name Text (120) of organization/group/Folks (and maybe persons). - I
ParentOrganizationID Long of organization. - I
Remarks Memo   - -
TimestampModified Date/Time Default value: Now() R I
TimestampCreated Date/Time Default value: Now() R -
LastEditedBy Text (50)   - I
Index name:  Attributes & index properties
{32B88AC3-69C6-11D2-A962-00...:  ParentOrganizationID (Duplicates OK)
Abbreviation:  Abbreviation (Duplicates OK)
AgentID:  AgentID (Primary key; Unique values)
LastEditedBy:  LastEditedBy (Duplicates OK)
LastName:  LastName (Duplicates OK)
Name:  Name (Duplicates OK)
TimestampModified:  TimestampModified (Duplicates OK)
Relation type:  Fields involved
Referential integrity  Agent.AgentID ? Agent.ParentOrganizationID
Deletions cascade  Agent.AgentID ? AgentAddress.AgentID
Referential integrity  Agent.AgentID ? AgentAddress.OrganizationID
Referential integrity  Agent.AgentID ? Authors.AgentID
Referential integrity  Agent.AgentID ? BorrowReturnMaterial.ReturnedByID
Referential integrity  Agent.AgentID ? Collection.OrganizationID
Referential integrity  Agent.AgentID ? Collectors.AgentID
Referential integrity  Agent.AgentID ? Determination.DeterminerID
Referential integrity  Agent.AgentID ? ExchangeIn.CatalogedByID
Referential integrity  Agent.AgentID ? ExchangeOut.CatalogedByID
Deletions cascade  Agent.AgentID ? GroupPersons.GroupID
Referential integrity  Agent.AgentID ? GroupPersons.MemberID
Referential integrity  Agent.AgentID ? CollectionObjectCatalog.CatalogerID
Referential integrity  Agent.AgentID ? Image.MadeByID
Referential integrity  Agent.AgentID ? Image.CopyrightOwnerID
Referential integrity  Agent.AgentID ? ImageAgents.AgentID
Referential integrity  Agent.AgentID ? LoanReturnPhysicalObject.ReceivedByID
Referential integrity  Agent.AgentID ? Preparation.PreparedByID
Referential integrity  Agent.AgentID ? Shipment.ShippedByID
Referential integrity  Agent.AgentID ? Sound.RecordedByID
Referential integrity  Agent.AgentID ? Project.ProjectAgentID

AgentAddress

Associates agents, addresses, and organizaions.

Attributes and indices of the entity 'AgentAddress'
Name Type Description / Default value & validation Rqrd./Index
AgentAddressID Autonumber PrimaryKey.
Default value: GenUniqueID()
- I (U)
TypeOfAgentAddressed Integer 0 for organization, 1 for person.
Default value: 1
- -
AddressID Long Associated record in Address table.
Default value: Null
- I
AgentID Long Associated record in Agent table.
Default value: Null
- I
OrganizationID Long Associates Agent identified by AgentID (type Person) as a member of Agent identified by OrganizationID (type Organization).
Default value: Null
- I
JobTitle Text (50) Agent's (person) job title at specified address and organization. - -
Phone1 Text (50)   - -
Phone2 Text (50)   - -
Fax Text (50)   - -
RoomOrBuilding Text (50)   - -
Email Text (50)   - -
URL Text (50)   - -
Remarks Memo   - -
TimestampModified Date/Time Default value: Now() - -
TimestampCreated Date/Time Default value: Now() - -
LastEditedBy Text (50)   - -
IsCurrent Integer   - -
Index name:  Attributes & index properties
{32B88AB8-69C6-11D2-A962-00...:  AddressID (Duplicates OK)
{32B88AC4-69C6-11D2-A962-00...:  AgentID (Duplicates OK)
{32B88AC5-69C6-11D2-A962-00...:  OrganizationID (Duplicates OK)
AgentAddressID:  AgentAddressID (Primary key; Unique values)
Relation type:  Fields involved
Referential integrity  Address.AddressID ? AgentAddress.AddressID
Referential integrity  AgentAddress.AgentAddressID ? AccessionAgents.AgentAddressID
Referential integrity  AgentAddress.AgentAddressID ? BorrowAgents.AgentAddressID
Referential integrity  AgentAddress.AgentAddressID ? DeaccessionAgents.AgentAddressID
Referential integrity  AgentAddress.AgentAddressID ? ExchangeIn.ReceivedFromOrganizationID
Referential integrity  AgentAddress.AgentAddressID ? ExchangeOut.SentToOrganizationID
Referential integrity  AgentAddress.AgentAddressID ? LoanAgents.AgentAddressID
Referential integrity  AgentAddress.AgentAddressID ? Permit.IssuerID
Referential integrity  AgentAddress.AgentAddressID ? Permit.IssueeID
Referential integrity  AgentAddress.AgentAddressID ? Shipment.ShipperID
Referential integrity  AgentAddress.AgentAddressID ? Shipment.ShippedToID
Deletions cascade  Agent.AgentID ? AgentAddress.AgentID
Referential integrity  Agent.AgentID ? AgentAddress.OrganizationID

Authors

Associates agents with referenceworks.

Attributes and indices of the entity 'Authors'
Name Type Description / Default value & validation Rqrd./Index
AuthorsID Autonumber Default value: GenUniqueID() - I (U)
AgentID Long Agent record representing the Author. R I/I (UM)
ReferenceWorkID Long Reference record the Agent authored. R I/I (UM)
Order Integer the order of AgentID relative to other authors of reference. R -
Remarks Memo   - -
TimestampModified Date/Time Default value: Now() - -
TimestampCreated Date/Time Default value: Now() - -
LastEditedBy Text (50)   - -
Index name:  Attributes & index properties
{32B88AC6-69C6-11D2-A962-00...:  AgentID (Duplicates OK)
{32B88B1B-69C6-11D2-A962-00...:  ReferenceWorkID (Duplicates OK)
CandidateKey:  AgentID; ReferenceWorkID (Unique values)
CitationOrder:  ReferenceWorkID; Order (Unique values)
PrimaryKey:  AuthorsID (Primary key; Unique values)
Relation type:  Fields involved
Referential integrity  Agent.AgentID ? Authors.AgentID
Deletions cascade  ReferenceWork.ReferenceWorkID ? Authors.ReferenceWorkID

BiologicalObjectAttributes

Measurements and other attributes of BiologicalObjects.

Attributes and indices of the entity 'BiologicalObjectAttributes'
Name Type Description / Default value & validation Rqrd./Index
BiologicalObjectAttributesID Long   R I (U)/I (U)
BiologicalObjectTypeID Long   R I
Sex Text (50) validation message: List*. - -
Age Text (50)   - -
Stage Text (50) validation message: List*. - -
Weight Single Default value: Null - -
Length Single Default value: Null - -
GosnerStage Byte Default value: Null - -
SnoutVentLength Single Default value: Null - -
Activity Text (50)   - -
LengthTail Single Default value: Null - -
ReproductiveCondition Text (50)   - -
Condition Text (50)   - -
LengthTarsus Single Default value: Null - -
LengthWing Single Default value: Null - -
LengthHead Single Default value: Null - -
LengthBody Single Default value: Null - -
LengthMiddleToe Single Default value: Null - -
LengthBill Single Default value: Null - -
TotalExposedCulmen Single Default value: Null - -
MaxLength Single Default value: Null - -
MinLength Single Default value: Null - -
LengthHindFoot Single Default value: Null - -
LengthForeArm Single Default value: Null - -
LengthTragus Single Default value: Null - -
LengthEar Single Default value: Null - -
EarFromNotch Single Default value: Null - -
Wingspan Single Default value: Null - -
LengthGonad Single Default value: Null - -
WidthGonad Single Default value: Null - -
LengthHeadBody Single Default value: Null - -
Width Single Default value: Null - -
HeightFinalWhorl Single Default value: Null - -
InsideHeightAperture Single Default value: Null - -
InsideWidthAperture Single Default value: Null - -
NumberWhorls Integer Default value: Null - I
OuterLipThickness Single Default value: Null - -
Mantle Single Default value: Null - -
Height Single Default value: Null - -
Diameter Single Default value: Null - -
BranchingAt Text (50)   - -
Text1 Text (50) User definable. - -
Text2 Text (50) User definable. - -
Text3 Text (50) User definable. - -
Text4 Text (50) User definable. - -
Text5 Text (50) User definable. - -
Remarks Memo   - -
TimestampModified Date/Time Default value: Now() - -
TimestampCreated Date/Time Default value: Now() - -
LastEditedBy Text (50)   - -
SexID Long Link to Lookup table for Sex. - I
StageID Long Link to Lookup table for Stage. - I
YesNo1 Integer   - -
YesNo2 Integer   - -
YesNo3 Integer   - -
Number1 Single   - -
Number2 Single   - -
Number3 Single   - -
Number4 Single   - -
Number5 Single   - -
Number6 Single   - -
Number7 Single   - -
Text6 Text (100)   - -
Text7 Text (100)   - -
YesNo4 Integer   - -
YesNo5 Integer   - -
YesNo6 Integer   - -
YesNo7 Integer   - -
Index name:  Attributes & index properties
{32B88AEA-69C6-11D2-A962-00...:  BiologicalObjectAttributesID (Unique values)
{32B88AF9-69C6-11D2-A962-00...:  BiologicalObjectTypeID (Duplicates OK)
BiologicalObjectID:  BiologicalObjectAttributesID (Primary key; Unique values)
NumberWhorls:  NumberWhorls (Duplicates OK)
SexID:  SexID (Duplicates OK)
StageID:  StageID (Duplicates OK)
Relation type:  Fields involved
Deletions cascade, one-to-one  CollectionObject.CollectionObjectID ? BiologicalObjectAttributes.BiologicalObjectAttributesID
Referential integrity  CollectionObjectType.CollectionObjectTypeID ? BiologicalObjectAttributes.BiologicalObjectTypeID

BiologicalObjectRelation

Information about relationships (Parent-Child, Host-Parasite, etc.) between BiologicalObjects.

Attributes and indices of the entity 'BiologicalObjectRelation'
Name Type Description / Default value & validation Rqrd./Index
BiologicalObjectRelationID Autonumber Default value: GenUniqueID() - I (U)
BiologicalObjectID Long   R I/I (UM)
RelatedBiologicalObjectID Long   R I
BiologicalObjectRelationTypeID Long   R I
Remarks Memo   - -
TimestampModified Date/Time Default value: Now() - -
TimestampCreated Date/Time Default value: Now() - -
LastEditedBy Text (50)   - -
Index name:  Attributes & index properties
{32B88AD8-69C6-11D2-A962-00...:  BiologicalObjectRelationTypeID (Duplicates OK)
{32B88AEB-69C6-11D2-A962-00...:  BiologicalObjectID (Duplicates OK)
{32B88AEC-69C6-11D2-A962-00...:  RelatedBiologicalObjectID (Duplicates OK)
BiologicalObjectRelationID:  BiologicalObjectRelationID (Primary key; Unique values)
CandidateKey:  BiologicalObjectID; RelatedBiologicalObjectID; BiologicalObjectRelationTypeID (Unique values)
Relation type:  Fields involved
Referential integrity  BiologicalObjectRelationType.BiologicalObjectRelationTypeID ? BiologicalObjectRelation.BiologicalObjectRelationTypeID
Referential integrity  CollectionObject.CollectionObjectID ? BiologicalObjectRelation.BiologicalObjectID
Referential integrity  CollectionObject.CollectionObjectID ? BiologicalObjectRelation.RelatedBiologicalObjectID

BiologicalObjectRelationType

Information about the valid types of relationships between BiologicalObjects. .

Attributes and indices of the entity 'BiologicalObjectRelationType'
Name Type Description / Default value & validation Rqrd./Index
BiologicalObjectRelationTypeID Autonumber Default value: GenUniqueID() - I (U)
RelationshipName Text (50)   - -
LeftSideRoleName Text (50)   - -
RightSideRoleName Text (50)   - -
Remarks Memo   - -
TimestampModified Date/Time Default value: Now() - -
TimestampCreated Date/Time Default value: Now() - -
LastEditedBy Text (50)   - -
IsReflexive Integer   - -
Index name:  Attributes & index properties
PrimaryKey:  BiologicalObjectRelationTypeID (Primary key; Unique values)
Relation type:  Fields involved
Referential integrity  BiologicalObjectRelationType.BiologicalObjectRelationTypeID ? BiologicalObjectRelation.BiologicalObjectRelationTypeID

Borrow

Invoice information for borrowed (incoming) material.

Attributes and indices of the entity 'Borrow'
Name Type Description / Default value & validation Rqrd./Index
BorrowID Autonumber Primary key.
Default value: GenUniqueID()
- I/I (U)
CollectionID Long Department receiving the loan. R I (UM)/