InvaCost: References and description of economic cost estimates associated with biological invasions worldwide.

InvaCost is the most up-to-date, comprehensive, standardized and robust data compilation and description of economic cost estimates associated with invasive species worldwide. InvaCost has been constructed to provide a contemporary and freely available repository of monetary impacts that can be relevant for both research and evidence-based policy making. The original version of this database contained 2,419 cost estimates described by 46 variables. We have now expanded both the content and the structure of InvaCost by merging it with two other resources generated in the frame of our wider InvaCost project^<b>1</b>: one based on the remaining references collected but not yet processed when constructing the original database (Complementary Search database) and the other one based on documents available in languages other than English (Non-English database). The ongoing work made by the InvaCost consortium<b>²</b> leads to constantly improving the structure and content of the database (see sections below). The list of actual contributors to this data resource now largely exceeds the list of authors listed in this page (see our InvaCost consortium<b>²</b> page, the author list of Complementary Search database and Non-English database (see links above), and the list provided in the Supplementary file of our Workshop Note^<b>1</b>). <b>CONTENT</b>: This page contains several files: (1) 'InvaCost_database' and its subsequent versions contains the cost entries depicted by a number of descriptive columns; (2) 'InvaCost_references' file provides all bibliographic details on original sources of cost data provided in the original version of InvaCost<b>³</b>; (3) ‘Descriptors’ provides full definition and details about the descriptive columns used in InvaCost; (4) ‘Update-InvaCost’ and its subsequent versions have details about the changes made between previous and current versions of InvaCost; (5) ‘Updates_to_come’ contains all information for further update of the most up-to-date version of InvaCost; (6) ‘InvaCost_updates_template’ (downloadable file), in order to make it easier entering data in the spreadsheet and standardize them as much as possible to avoid mistakes and saving time at post-refining stages. <b>METHODOLOGY</b>: All the methodological details and tools used to build and populate this database are available in Diagne et al. 2020 (Sci Data)<b>³</b>. The specific procedures used to build the non-English database are presented in a paper currently in review.<b>UPDATES</b>: InvaCost is intended to be regularly updated with contributions from both authors and future users in order to improve it both quantitatively (by new cost information) and qualitatively (if errors are identified). Any reader or user can propose to update InvaCost by filling the template either with new entries (‘InvaCost_updates_template/TemplateNewInformation’) or with corrections (‘InvaCost_updates_template/TemplateChanges’) and sending it to our email address ([e-mail]). Each updated public version of InvaCost is stored in the same repository than the original version, with a unique version number. For this purpose, we consider the original version of InvaCost publicly released in September 2020 as ‘InvaCost_1.0’. The further updated versions are named using the subsequent numbering (e.g., ‘InvaCost_2.0’, InvaCost_2.1’) and all information on changes made are provided in a dedicated file called ‘Updates-InvaCost’ (named using the same numbering, e.g., ‘Updates-InvaCost_2.0’, ‘Updates-InvaCost_2.1’). We consider changing the first level of this numbering (e.g. ‘InvaCost_3.x’ ‘InvaCost_4.’x) only when the structure of the database changes. Every user wanting to have the most up-to-date version of the database should refer to the last released version and update it with the document “Updates to come”. The second publicly released version of InvaCost is "Invacost_3.0". Invacost_2.0 and 2.1 were internal versions for our consortium.<b>RECOMMENDATIONS</b>: Every user should read the ‘Usage notes’ section of Diagne et al. 2020 (Sci Data)<b>³</b> before considering the database for analysis purposes or specific interpretation. InvaCost compiles cost data published in the literature, but does not aim to provide a ready-to-use dataset for specific analyses. While the cost data are described in a homogenized way in InvaCost, the intrinsic disparity, complexity, and heterogeneity of the cost data require specific data processing depending on the user objectives. However, we provide necessary information and caveats about recorded costs. <b>CAUTION</b>: InvaCost is currently being analysed by a network of international collaborators in the frame of the InvaCost project<b>¹</b>^,<b>²</b>^,<b>⁴</b>. Interested users may contact the authors if they wish to learn more about or contribute to these current efforts. Users are in no way prevented from performing their own independent analyses and collaboration with this network is not required. Nonetheless, users and contributors are encouraged to contact the authors before using the database, as the information contained may not be directly implementable for specific analyses.<b>RELATED LINKS AND PUBLICATIONS</b>: <b>¹</b>Diagne C, Catford JA, Essl F, Nuñez MA, Courchamp F (2020) What are the economic costs of biological invasions? A complex topic requiring international and interdisciplinary expertise. NeoBiota 63: 25–37. https://doi.org/10.3897/neobiota.63.55260 <b>²</b>Researchgate page: https://www.researchgate.net/project/InvaCost-assessing-the-economic-costs-of-biological-invasions<b>³</b>Diagne, C., Leroy, B., Gozlan, R.E. et al. InvaCost, a public database of the economic costs of biological invasions worldwide. Sci Data 7, 277 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-020-00586-z<b>⁴</b>InvaCost workshop: https://www.biodiversitydynamics.fr/invacost-workshop/<br>