People
Allkin, Robert (Bob)
| Job Title | Information Projects Manager |
|---|---|
| Department | Information Services |
| Section | Applications Development |
| Science Teams |
Drylands: Tropical America Leguminosae Large-Scale Syntheses |
| Joined Kew | 1987 |
| Foreign Language(s) | Portuguese (fluent), Spanish (fluent) |
Qualifications & Appointments
BSc. (Hons), Biology, London Univ., 1976
PhD, Biological Computing, Westminster Univ. / Natural History Museum, 1979.
Council, British Classification Soc. (1987-1991)
Council, Systematics Assoc. (1991-1995)
Chair, IUBS Taxonomic Database Working Gp Data Exchange Comm. (1986-1993)
Scientific Advisory Board, Centre Pl. Conservation, Missouri Bot. Gard. (1996-2000).
Role
Effective delivery of information services about plants, particularly to those outside of science, and in measuring the impact of such services.
Knowledge-based initiatives and information services can contribute dramatically toward an organisation’s business, science or development goals provided that projects focus on precise business goals rather than the technology and show responsible custodianship of information resources. 25 years experience of managing and disseminating information about plant biodiversity; leading and working in multidisciplinary teams designing and managing databases and delivering information services. Designed, implemented and ran an information network in Brazil involving more than 30 institutional partners, linking scientists with development agencies needing access to knowledge about plants in support of their sustainable development and poverty alleviation goals. Experience of designing information services to meet the needs of non-scientific audiences, strategic planning for information projects, formal project management, designing and implementing biodiversity databases; including data modelling, software development and the use of expert systems as tools for identification and education.
Projects
Electronic Cataloguing and Imaging of Monocot Type Specimens
Plant Information for Northeast Brazil
Promoting Sustainable Plant Use in Northeast Brazil
Target 1 of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation - Global Checklists
World Grass Species Databases (GrassBase)
Selected Publications 2001-2005
Allkin, R. (2001). Collaboration and Communication in the Caatinga. New Agriculturalist Online. Available at www.new-agri.co.uk/00-2/develop/dev04.html
Allkin, R. & Sampaio, E.V. (2001). Plant Information and Dissemination in Northeast Brazil. European Tropical Forest Research Network. Available at http://www.etfrn.org/ etfrn/newsletter/nl31_oip.html#sidt
Selected Publications pre-2001
Allkin, R. (1998). Effective management and delivery of natural resource information. In Bridge, P., Jeffries, P., Morse, D.R. & Scott, P.R. (eds) Information technology, plant pathology and Biodiversity. Wallingford: CAB International. 87-102.
Allkin, R. (1997). Data management within collaborative projects. In Dransfield, J., Coode, M.J.E. & Simpson, D.A. (eds) Plant diversity in Malesia III. Kew: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 5-24.
Allkin, R. & Winfield, P.J. (1994). Software development strategies for Global Plant Information Systems. In Bisby, F.A., Pankhurst, R.J. & Russell, G.R. (eds). Designs for a Global Plant Species Information system. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 304-320.
Allkin, R., Moreno, N.P., Gama Campillo, L. & Mejia, T. (1992). Multiple uses for computer-stored taxonomic descriptions: Keys for Veracruz. Taxon 41(3): 413-436.
Allkin, R. & Bisby, F.A. (eds) (1984). Databases in Systematics. Systematics Association Special Vol. 26. London: Academic Press.