March 01, 2022 / by Chantal Huijbers

Call for proposals for COL API documentation

The Catalogue of Life (COL) Secretariat seeks proposals from qualified experts to prepare documentation on the usage of the COL API.

The new COL API went live in December 2020 as part of the release of the new COL infrastructure, and is still under active development in a joint collaboration between COL and GBIF. There is a need for a better understanding of the current usage of the API and development of user guidelines. The intended documentation should therefore focus on topics such as:

• How can people use the API to access the Catalogue of Life and what kind of information can be accessed;
• Step by step user guidelines including examples from current users;
• How can we identify user requirements and possible improvements. The documentation should be understandable for both researchers and developers. We would also like to be able to use the documentation for workshops and training of COL API users.

We are looking for proposals from individual authors or small teams. Investigation and writing should start before April 2022, preferably earlier, with first drafts completed within 3 months. The Catalogue of Life Secretariat can help identify and communicate with current users and will release the completed documentation for community review. Authors should be prepared to address this feedback and prepare responses and edits.

Please send your proposals to support@catalogueoflife.org, including:

• Summary of the approach to provide the documentation
• Draft outline for the documentation
• Candidate’s knowledge and experience on the topic, preferably with a CV and examples of documentation you have produced
• Project budget

Key details

• Start of contract: as soon as possible
• Contract duration: maximum of 6 months from start of contract
• Contract fees paid in two (2) instalments
• Indication available budget: €5-7k, to be negotiated

For additional questions about this call, please contact support@catalogueoflife.org.

Also see the call for proposals for COLDP documentation.