AKN

The Avian Knowledge Network (AKN)

Overview

The Avian Knowledge Network (AKN) is the data management system of the Avian Knowledge Alliance, an international organization of government and non-government institutions focused on understanding the patterns and dynamics of bird populations across the Western Hemisphere. The goal of AKN is to educate the public on the dynamics of bird populations, provide interactive decision-making tools for land managers, make available a data resource for scientific research, and advance new exploratory analysis techniques to study bird populations. AKN accomplishes this through organizing data in a common format; summarizing available data visually (e.g., maps, graphs, etc.); and providing direct downloads of data when permitted by the data owner.

Strengths

The AKN stores data and provides a data exchange system by sharing data through visualizations, explorations, and direct download. Unlike many other databases, users can choose five different levels of access for their data, allowing for more detailed control over how their data can be used. The AKN also provides an on-line toolbox which allows for exploration of bird sighting records and the relationship between birds and the variables that influence their detection.

Weaknesses

AKN is not a data entry system and does not substitute for a local data management scheme. When exporting data, the large data files produced by the AKN can be difficult to work with. The AKN does not capture data on habitat, weather, specimens or dead birds, or taxa other than birds. At the time of writing none of the built-in tools (e.g., visualization, summaries, etc.) account for detectability. While the goal of the AKN includes public education and interactive decision-making tools for land managers, these aspects of the network are not as well developed as the data exchange and visualization features of the AKN.

Examples

The Klamath Bird Observatory (http://www.klamathbird.org/) uses the AKN to manage and distribute its bird banding data (http://www.avianknowledge.net/content/datasets/projects/kbmn_band).

More information

http://www.avianknowledge.net/content/about

This publication is dynamic in that it will continue to be improved, updated, and expanded over time. Suggestions for improving the content, organization, and scope of this publication are encouraged and can be contributed here (http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NP3Y772).