Glossary Category: Curation & Care

A secondary sample taken from the same location for backup or comparison.

Field data backup is the habit of copying photos, GPS tracks, and notes during or right after a trip so a dead phone does not erase provenance.

Post-trip specimen triage is the first sorting pass at home to stabilize labels, separate priorities, and flag anything that needs more research.

A small collection of known specimens used for comparison.

An organized approach to containing and separating collected material so specimens do not mix or lose context.

A system for marking collected material so each specimen stays tied to its exact location, method, and field context.

A consistent numbering system used to uniquely identify collected material.

A sample sorting workflow is the order you sort, separate, and label material so similar bags do not blur together after a long day.

A specimen label attachment method is how you physically secure the label so it stays with the specimen through transport, washing, and storage.