Earth Guardians Weekly Feed

Our data uses the BioExpertise Engine (BEE) to accurately identify and verify observations (see https://bioexpertise.org). The BEE platform uses an anonymous, double-blind peer review system to prevent bias.

Anyone can give an ID, but IDs are weighted according to expertise levels as a way to ensure the highest accuracy possible while delivering the fastest possible results. Our proprietary consensus algorithm (patent pending) assigns a consensus threshold to every taxon level.

So it’s possible, for example, that many people can agree on a taxa but the combined expertise levels are too low to surpass the threshold required for verification, and the system will subsequently verify a less precise taxa.
Similarly, identifications from just a couple high level experts may be enough to verify a precise, species level taxa.

BEE rewards digital BioCoin (see https://biocoin.life) for correct IDs, thus increasing reliability and trust while accelerating growth. The BioCoin helps ensure that expertise is valued and taken seriously, thus reducing bias even further and helping ensure the system is inclusive, non-biased and scalable (as opposed to social networks which often produce exclusive groups and depend on popularity to scale).

By having a stake in the outcome, participants are more judicious in their engagement. For example, anyone can challenge a verified ID at any time, which resubmits the sighting through the same double-blind peer-review process. However, it costs BioCoin to do so. Challengers, meanwhile, can receive a significant BioCoin reward for improving the ID.

The system awards expertise levels by category according to past behaviour on the system and/or through an application process at https://questagame.com/expertise.

IMPORTANT: BEE is an open data system with APIs (https://biosmart.life/apis) that do not require individual accounts (it’s not a social network or an open “crowdsourcing” system). These APIs allow any citizen science project, using a single group account, to receive verified identifications for their community’s observations. We welcome partnerships and collaboration, and we strongly promote open data exchange while at the same time protecting individual rights to the data. For more information, see BioSMART.LIFE (https://biosmart.life/) or contact [e-mail].

本数据集依托生物专业引擎（BioExpertise Engine, BEE）对观测数据开展精准识别与核验，详情请见https://bioexpertise.org。
该BEE平台采用匿名双盲同行评审机制以规避偏见。
任何用户均可提交物种识别结果，但系统会依据用户的专业等级对识别结果赋予权重，以此在保障最高识别精度的同时，尽可能提升核验效率。
本团队自研的共识算法（专利申请中）会为每个分类阶元（taxon level）设定共识阈值。
举例而言，即便多数用户对某一分类单元达成共识，但如果所有参与者的综合专业等级未达到核验所需的阈值，系统将转而核验精度更低的分类单元。
同理，仅需数位顶级专家提交的识别结果，即可满足物种级高精度分类单元的核验要求。
BEE平台会为正确的识别结果奖励数字生物币（BioCoin，详情请见https://biocoin.life），以此提升系统可信度与公信力，同时加速平台发展。
数字生物币可确保专业能力得到重视与尊重，进一步降低偏见，助力系统实现包容性、无偏性与可扩展性——这与常形成排他性社群、依赖流量实现扩张的社交网络截然不同。
由于用户的参与成果与其切身利益挂钩，其行为会更为审慎严谨。
举例而言，任何用户均可随时对已核验的识别结果提出质疑，质疑后该观测记录将重新进入双盲同行评审流程，但提出质疑需消耗一定数量的数字生物币；若质疑成功并优化了识别结果，挑战者可获得丰厚的数字生物币奖励。
系统会依据用户在平台上的过往行为，或通过https://questagame.com/expertise的申请流程，按类别授予用户专业等级。
重要说明：BEE是一套开放数据系统，其应用程序编程接口（API，详情请见https://biosmart.life/apis）无需单独用户账号即可使用——本系统并非社交网络或开放式众包平台。任何公民科学项目均可通过单个群组账号，借助该API为其社区的观测数据获取经核验的识别结果。
我们欢迎各类合作与共建，在大力推动开放数据共享的同时，也会切实保护用户的数据权益。更多详情可访问BioSMART.LIFE（https://biosmart.life/）或发送邮件至[e-mail]咨询。