DOI: 10.5061/dryad.hx3ffbgbs
title: Data from: Use of web-based species occurrence information systems by academics and government professionals

description: Web-based information systems designed to increase access to species
 occurrence data for use in research and natural resource decision-making
 have become more prevalent over the past few decades. The effectiveness of
 these systems depends on their usability and extent of use by their
 intended audiences. We conducted an online survey of academics and
 government professionals in the United States to compare their species
 occurrence data needs and their perceptions and use of web-based species
 occurrence information systems. Our results indicate that although views
 and perceptions held by academics and government professionals about the
 importance, usefulness, and ease of use of these information systems tend
 to be similar, there were differences in their use of species occurrence
 data and web-based species occurrence information systems. The baseline
 information obtained in this study will help inform future directions for
 improvements in species occurrence information systems.
description: A survey consisting of a
 combination of close-ended questions and open-ended questions was
 developed to examine use of species occurrence data and web-based species
 occurrence information systems by professionals in the United States. This
 dataset only includes responses to closed-ended questions of the survey.
 Most closed-ended questions were developed as individual Likert-type
 items. Selection of one response was allowed per closed-ended question
 except for those that included ‘select all that apply’. A list of names and emails of
 potential survey participants was compiled from websites of relevant
 academic departments in universities of the United States classified as
 doctoral universities of highest research activity in the 2015 Carnegie
 Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. Names and emails of
 potential government participants were compiled from websites of natural
 resource agencies in each of the fifty states of the United States and the
 federal government. The survey was administered
 online via Qualtrics. Invitations to participate in the online survey were
 sent from Qualtrics to academic and government professionals. A generic
 link to the survey was also provided to participants who had expressed
 interest in inviting other colleagues to participate in the survey. The
 online survey was open to all participants for one month in March 2017.
 The survey was opened a second time in June 2017 to invitees from a
 government agency that required clearance before staff could participate
 in the survey. The online survey was permanently closed on July
 2017.
description: <b>survey_professionals_US_closedQ</b> Dataset used in analyses about the use of species occurrence data and web-based species occurrence information systems by academics and government professionals in the United States. This dataset contains responses to closed-ended questions from an online survey conducted in 2017.<br> survey_professionals_US_closedQ.csv <b>README_survey_professionals_US_closedQ</b> README file with information about methods and contents of the dataset.<br> README_survey_professionals_US_closedQ.txt