OBIS-USA Policies and Disclaimer

Data Use Agreement

User Acknowledgment

By using data, software, or other information accessed through the OBIS-USA Portal, I agree that, in any publication or presentation of any sort based wholly or in part on material so accessed, I will: 1. Acknowledge the use of specific records from contributing databases in the form appearing in the 'Citation' field thereof (if any); and in any event acknowledge the use of the OBIS facility in the following prescribed form: "Accessed in J.F. Grassle & Y. Zhang eds., OBIS Distributed Data Search (OBIS-USA World Wide Web electronic publication http://www.usgs.gov/obis-usa)" Example: "Richer de Forges, B. 2001. Electronic Database of ORSTOM Sampling on the Norfolk Ridge. As viewed in K. Stocks, 2003, SeamountsOnline Version 3.1. http://seamounts.sdsc.edu. Accessed in J.F. Grassle & Y. Zhang (eds.), OBIS Distributed Data Search (OBIS-USA World Wide Web electronic publication http://www.usgs.gov/obis-usa)"; and 2. For information purposes, provide to the OBIS Webmaster the full citation of any publication I make (printed or electronic) that cites OBIS or any constituent part.

Users beware

The information provided was prepared by contributors accessible through dynamic on-line publication. The data presented did not recieve peer-review. However, we are confident that the data are the best available in electronic form. OBIS-USA does not own or try to control or limit the use of any data or products accessible through its website. Accordingly, it does not take responsibility for the quality of such data or products, or the use that people may make of them. Users must recognize that the analysis and interpretation of data requires background knowledge and expertise about marine biodiversity (including ecosystems and taxonomy). Users should be aware of possible errors in the use of species names, georeferencing, data handing and mapping. They should crosscheck their results for possible errors, and qualify their interpretation of any results accordingly. Appropriate caution is thus necessary in the interpretation of results derived from OBIS-USA. Users must be aware that OBIS is a federation and that it is necessary to refer to the websites of individual contributors for appropriate contextual, explanatory and interpretive information, and for relevant metadata. Users should also refer questions that they have concerning such issues to individual contributors though the procedures established in their respective websites. Questions about the portal function itself should be directed to the OBIS webmaster."

OBIS Data Use Agreement and Recommended Citation

By using data, software, or other information accessed through this OBIS Portal, I agree that, in any publication or presentation of any sort based wholly or in part on material so accessed, I will:

1. Acknowledge the use of specific records from contributing databases in the form appearing in the 'Citation' field thereof (if any); and in any event acknowledge the use of this facility in one of the following prescribed forms:

For OBIS website:
Ocean Biogeographic Information System. [date accessed] www.iobis.org

For OBIS-USA website:
Ocean Biogeographic Information System. [date accessed] wwwusgs.gov/obis-usa

For data used OBIS or OBIS-USA accordingly:
Author, initials. Database title. Retrieved [date accessed] from www.iobis.org or wwwusgs.gov/obis-usa

Examples:

(a) single level
Stocks, K. SeamountsOnline: an online information system for seamount biology. Version 3.1. Retrieved 6 th April 2005 from www.iobis.org or wwwusgs.gov/obis-usa

(b) multiple level
Picton, B.E., Emblow, C.S., Morrow, C.C., Sides, E.M., Tierney, P., McGrath, D., McGeough, G., McCrea, M., Dinneen, P., Falvey, J., Dempsey, S., Dowse, J. and Costello, M. J. 1999. Marine sites, habitats and species data collected during the BioMar survey of Ireland. In: Picton, B.E. and Costello M. J. (eds), The BioMar biotope viewer: a guide to marine habitats, fauna and flora in Britain and Ireland , Environmental Sciences Unit, Trinity College, Dublin. Retrieved [date] from www.iobis.org or wwwusgs.gov/obis-usa.

2. For information purposes, provide to OBIS Portal Support [obissupport (at) marine.rutgers.edu] the full citation of any publication I make (printed or electronic) that cites OBIS or any constituent part.

User Beware: Data Liability Disclaimer

OBIS-USA renders information prepared by contributors accessible through dynamic on-line publication. We cannot verify whether the data presented were peer reviewed. However, it is confident that the data are the best available in electronic form. OBIS-USA does not own or try to control or limit the use of any data or products accessible through its website. Accordingly, it does not take responsibility for the quality of such data or products, or the use that people may make of them.

Users must recognize that the analysis and interpretation of data requires background knowledge and expertise about marine biodiversity (including ecosystems and taxonomy). Users should be aware of possible errors in the use of species names, geo-referencing, data handing and mapping. They should crosscheck their results for possible errors, and qualify their interpretation of any results accordingly. Appropriate caution is thus necessary in the interpretation of results derived from OBIS-USA.

Users must be aware that OBIS is a federation and that it is necessary to refer to the websites of individual contributors for appropriate contextual, explanatory and interpretive information, and for relevant metadata. Users should also refer questions that they have concerning such issues to individual contributors though the procedures established in their respective websites. Questions about the portal function itself should be directed to OBIS Portal Support mark_fornwall@usgs.gov.

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U.S. Department of the Interior | U.S. Geological Survey
URL: http://www.usgs.gov/obis-usa/data_use_agreement.html
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