Museums have tons of data, and AI could make it more accessible − but standardizing and organizing it across fields won’t be easy

Ice cores in the freezers, the displayed dinosaurs, the fish in the jars, the birds in the boxes, the human residue, and the ancient artifacts of the civilizations that have long been seen by a few people at all – the museum groups are filled with all this and more.

These groups are sweaters that tell the history of the natural and human planet, and they help scientists in a variety of different fields such as geology, fossil science, anthropology and more. What you see on a trip to the museum is only a fragment of the wonders held in their collection.

Museums generally want to make contents Their groups are available For teachers and researchers, either physically Or digitally. However, the employees of each group have its own way of organizing data, so mobility in these groups can be proven challenging.

The establishment, organization and distribution of digital copies of the museum samples or information about the material elements in the group requires Incredible quantities of data. These data can feed on automatic learning models or other artificial intelligence To answer big questions.

Currently, even within one search field, Find the right data It requires movement in different warehouses. AI can help organize large quantities of data from different groups and withdraw information to answer specific questions.

But the use of artificial intelligence is not an ideal solution. A group of joint practices and systems for data management among museums can improve data activation and a necessary participation of the IQ Agency to do its work. These practices can help both people and machines to make new discoveries from these valuable groups.

as The world of information Who studies the approaches to scientists and opinions about Research data managementI have seen how the infrastructure of the physical group in the world is a phrase Associated identification data.

Artificial intelligence tools can do stunning things, such as Make 3D models to Digital versions One of the elements in museum groups is, but only if there is enough well -organized data about this available element. To find out how Amnesty International can help museum groups, my team has started Make concentration sets With people who run the museum collections. We asked what they are doing to use their groups by both people and AI.

Assembly managers

When an element comes to the museum collection, the assembly managers are the people who describe the features of this element and create data from them. This data, called descriptive data, allows others to use it and may include things such as a mosque name, geographical location, the time collected, and in the case of geological samples, the era of them. For samples of an animal or plant, it may include this ClassificationIt is a group of Latin names that you classify.

All of this, this information adds to a quantity of confusing data to the mind.

But combining data through various fields and standards is really difficult. Fortunately, assembly managers unify their operations Through disciplines and Many types of samples. Grants have helped scientific societies building tools for monotheism.

In biological groups, The tool is selected Managers are allowed to quickly classify samples with drop -down menus standards for classification and other parameters to describe the samples constantly.

Common descriptive data standard in biology Darwin Core. There are similar data, characteristics and tools similar in all sciences to make the workflow to take real elements and put them in an easy -to -can machine.

Special tools such as these and descriptive data, assembly managers help data from reusable things for research and educational purposes.

All little things

My team and I have been conducted 10 concentration groupsWith a total of 32 participants from many material societies. This included Assembly managers via disciplinesIncluding anthropology, archaeology, botanism, geology, dictator, insectology, insectology and fossil science.

Each participant answered questions about how to access, organize, store and use data from their groups in an attempt to make their materials ready to use artificial intelligence. While human themes need to provide approval to study them, most species do not. Therefore, Amnesty International can collect and analyze data from inhuman material groups without privacy concerns or approval.

We found it Assembly managers from various fields and institutions have many different practices when it comes to preparing their material groups for Amnesty International. Our results indicate this Standardizing the types of descriptive data managers and the methods they store through groups can make the elements in these samples easier and useable.

Additional research projects such as our study of assembly managers can help build the infrastructure they will need to make their data data ready. Human experience can help inform artificial intelligence tools that make new discoveries based on old treasures in museum groups.

This article has been republished from ConversationAn independent, non -profit news organization brings you facts and trusted analysis to help you understand our complex world. Written by: Bradley Wadi Bishopand Tennessee University

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Bradley Wade Bishop receives funding from the Museum Services Institute, Library and the National Science Corporation.