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Exploring a datasheet
Full Datasheets: Datasheets on individual cultured species and diseases of economic importance, along with datasheet reviews of important issues and systems have been written specifically for the Compendium by a wide range of specialists from around the world (see Contributors for a full list of acknowledgements). In addition, case studies have been devised which link theory and practice. Overall, around 650 full datasheets are available. When searching for a datasheet, Full datasheets are indicated by a red dot in the Find-A-Datasheet search page. There are also Outline datasheets, indicated by a blue dot and Basic datasheets, indicated by a black ring.
Datasheets can be of several types and contain various components: a cover sheet and a number of features accessed through the Menu Bar.
The cover page consists of summary text on the left of the window which contains basic information about the datasheet, along with links to other associated datasheets and Library texts, and on the right a cover picture and a world distribution map.
Further parts of the datasheet are accessible from the main Menu Bar, the composition of which will change to reflect the contents of the datasheet.
The menu choices are:
The information menu contains textual information and tables, giving more information about the subject of the datasheet. Click on an item on the drop down list to see more. This information will appear on the screen. To return to the cover page, select that option from the Information menu. The categories used in the Information menu come from a defined list. Most datasheets contain the following sections:
Other sections are specific to the datasheet type. The following image shows the fully expanded Information menu for a cultured species. Most of the datasheet content is accessible via this menu.
The sections may also be compiled into a Report. Selecting a particular word or phrase and selecting the 'Softlinking' feature (on the right of the menu bar) will perform a search for related information, e.g. a Cultured species, a Country, a Disease, a Glossary definition, drug information or a reference.
Names include scientific, common and otherwise recognized names. All organisms, whether they be cultured aquatic species, pests or pathogens, are linked to the Taxonomic Tree.
Distribution information is also represented graphically as Maps, and contains distribution data supplied by our authors and from the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), and mined from the CAB Abstracts database.
References cited within the text of a datasheet are also listed separately. These references to journal articles, books, theses, websites, etc. are where possible attached to the relevant abstract from the CAB Abstracts database. Cited references and abstracts can be viewed directly from within a datasheet, or found using the Compendium Search facility. References can be Softlinked to from the text.
Datasheets often contain a list of important weblinks, and may contain additional weblinks embedded in the text or references. The open architecture of the Compendium allows links to be made to external information resources, such as additional bibliographic databases, and the resources of the Internet. Important weblinks can also be found in the Library.
Pictures for a datasheet may be accessed by clicking the cover page picture, or by selecting Pictures and Show all Pictures from the Menu Bar. Pictures may be seen full size by clicking on a thumbnail.
Pictures may be included in Reports, or copied into the clipboard (click the right mouse button for the option) and from there into a document of your choice. Note that pictures are Copyrighted. Contact us if necessary for further details of the copyright holder. Images may be used only in accordance with our Fair Use Statement.
Further illustrations are to be found in the Library documents.
A database contains country distribution data for all the diseases and cultured species covered. This provides the data for a GIS that presents the user with a dynamic mapping capability in which geographic data are automatically projected as distribution maps, global and regional, which can be compared with the distribution of another species, pathogen, etc.
Maps may be accessed by clicking on the world map on the cover page, or by selecting from the options on the Maps option on the menu bar. Maps plot information recorded in the Distribution table. References for distribution are presented (references from the Bibliography).
To maximize the world-view map, click on the map on the cover sheet or select from menus.
Maps can be shown for a number of different world regions:
In addition, you can select to have the underlying map as a climate map, shift the viewpoint to Pacific-centred map, or revert to the normal view. Maps are overlaid with lines separating FAO Sea Areas where they relate to oceans.
Distribution records on maps are derived from the distribution table, which can be accessed from the Information menu. Records are displayed on maps as dots of different colours. A key to these dots is displayed underneath the full-sized map. Distribution can be described as:
This information is also presented as a yellow popup box when you move the arrow cursor over a particular dot.
If you are in a datasheet and you click the left mouse button when the cursor is over a dot, the reference cited for this distribution record will be displayed.
A left mouse button click over a particular region of the world map will show the more detailed map of that region.
The Countries and regions used on the distribution maps have their own datasheets, from which you may access particular information about that area, particularly FAOStat Statistics, case studies, and information about organisations and publishers based in that area.
Some datasheets may also contain distribution data, but these are likely to be less comprehensive; mainly in the form of that presented for Outline and Basic datasheets.
The Notepad function is available from datasheets as well as from the main Menu Bar. This allows you to record your own datasheet-specific notes, as well as more general notes. Once you have saved a note, you can Softlink from the notepad view, using the button provided in the notepad view window (right of menu bar).
To generate a report in HTML from a datasheet, open the Report menu and select Generate Report. This allows you to build a report containing the sections you want. For more information, see the separate section on Reports.
Production statistics are available from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAOStat and FishStat) and from the United States Department of Agriculture - Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS-PSD Commodity Data). Data are linked to an interface that enables the user to generate graphs. Statistics are available from the main menu, and from country and relevant cultured species datasheets.
Outline Datasheets: may contain some information from a specialist, supplemented with information compiled by our experienced editorial team.
Basic Datasheets: Basic data are available for a much broader range of species and diseases and are indicated by a black ring. Approximately 20,000 species names and synonyms, and links with their hosts, geographic data and vectors, have been downloaded from the CAB Abstracts bibliographic databases, FishBase, the DFO Synopsis of Infectious Diseases and Parasites of Commercially Exploited Shellfish and OIE Handistatus by a process of 'data mining', and automatically cross-checked. These data provide useful indications of the identity, distribution and relationships of these species, but it must be noted that data in this form have not been manually checked by experts. Note that additional definitions are available in the Glossary.