DINA (“DIgital information system for NAtural history data”, https://www.dina-project.net) is a framework for like-minded practitioners of natural science collections to collaborate on the development of distributed, open source software that empowers and sustains collections management. Target collections include zoology, botany, mycology, geology, paleontology, and living collections. DINA is capable of managing both living and preserved specimens and serving the needs of users who conduct specimen- and sample-based research. The DINA Consortium focuses on an open source software philosophy and on community-driven open development. Contributors share their development resources and expertise for the benefit of all participants. The DINA System is explicitly designed as a loosely coupled set of web-enabled modules. At its core, this modular ecosystem includes strict guidelines for the structure of Web application programming interfaces (APIs), which guarantees the interoperability of all components (https://github.com/DINA-Web). Its innovative material sample-based [state- process] data model allows for considerable flexibility to better represent complex relationships between specimens and samples involving their derivatives, preparations and storage, and to document their provenance.
Structure and Governance
DINA is developed by the DINA consortium, an unincorporated international partnership among organizations and individuals for collaborative open-source development. The DINA consortium was founded in 2014 by six natural history collection institutions in Europe and North America. The governance model of the DINA consortium is outlined in the DINA Memorandum of Understanding. The consortium is led by an International Steering Committee (ISC) composed of members and has a permanent task force addressing technical DINA issues, the Technical Committee (TC).