Mr Matthew Woodburn

Mr Matt Woodburn

Science Data Architect

Department: Life Sciences
Division: LS Diversity and Informatics Division
Specialisms: Application configuration and support, C#, Data architecture design, Data curation and quality control, Data flow and process modelling, Data manipulation and reporting, Data policy, Database management, Digitisation, IT system selection, Software development and scripting - SQL, VB6, VBA, perl

Summary

I am the science data architect for the Natural History Museum's Digital Collections Programme, which will ultimately digitise the museum's 80 million specimens and make the data available to the global scientific community. Following an education in life sciences, I've worked predominantly in data architecture and system design, development and consultancy in the private and academic sectors. Working at the NHM provides the ideal opportunity to combine my interests and experience.

Qualifications

    Degrees

  • MRes, University of Manchester, United Kingdom, 2000 - 2001
  • BSc (Hons), University of Manchester, United Kingdom, 1997 - 2000

Employment history

    Non-academic

    Science Data Architect, Natural History Museum, 2014 - ongoing

    Information Systems Manager, NIHR BioResource, University of Cambridge, NIHR BioResource, 2012 - 2014

    Head of Sample Informatics, JDRF/Wellcome Trust Diabetes and Inflammation Laboratory, University of Cambridge, 2011 - 2012

    Software Engineer, JDRF/Wellcome Trust Diabetes and Inflammation Laboratory, University of Cambridge, 2008 - 2011

    Software Developer, Self-employed, 2007 - 2008

    Computer Maintenance Engineer, Realize-IT Ltd, 2006 - 2006

    Software Developer, Webhaven Ltd, 2006 - 2007

    Consultant, Dunnett Shaw Ltd, 2002 - 2005

Publications

Scott B, Baker E, Woodburn M, Vincent S, Hardy H, Smith VS (2019) The Natural History Museum Data Portal. Database, 2019 : doi: 10.1093/database/baz038

Brierley MJ, Ashworth AJ, Craven TP, Woodburn M, Banks JR, Lu W, Riccardi D, Balment RJ, McCrohan CR (2003) Electrical activity of caudal neurosecretory neurons in seawater- and freshwater-adapted flounder: responses to cholinergic agonists. Journal of Experimental Biology, 206 (22) : 4011 - 4020. doi: 10.1242/jeb.00631

Casino A, Raes N, Addink W, Woodburn M (null) Collections Digitization and Assessment Dashboard, a Tool for Supporting Informed Decisions. Biodiversity Information Science and Standards, 3 : doi: 10.3897/biss.3.37505

Cocks N, Livermore L, Smith V, Woodburn M (null) Technical capacities of digitisation centres within ICEDIG participating institutions. Research Ideas and Outcomes, 6 : doi: 10.3897/rio.6.e55522

Dixey K, Woodburn M, Hardy H, Livermore L, Smith V (null) Identification of provisional Centres of Excellence for digitisation of European natural science collections. Research Ideas and Outcomes, 6 : doi: 10.3897/rio.6.e57750

Hardisty A, Livermore L, Walton S, Woodburn M, Hardy H (null) Costbook of the digitisation infrastructure of DiSSCo. Research Ideas and Outcomes, 6 : doi: 10.3897/rio.6.e58915

Hardy H, Smith V, Livermore L, Allan EL, Dupont S, Woodburn M, Vincent S (null) What 5 Years of Digitisation Teaches Us About What Comes Next. Biodiversity Information Science and Standards, 3 : doi: 10.3897/biss.3.37044

Hobern D, Paul DL, Robertson T, Groom Q, Thiers B, Asase A, Luo M, Semal P, Woodburn M, Zschuschen E (null) Advancing the Catalogue of the World’s Natural History Collections. Biodiversity Information Science and Standards, 4 : doi: 10.3897/biss.4.59324

Raes N, van Egmond E, Casino A, Woodburn M, Paul DL (null) Towards a Global Collection Description Standard. Biodiversity Information Science and Standards, 3 : doi: 10.3897/biss.3.37894

Smith V, Dupont S, Woodburn M (null) Towards Community Collections Management. Biodiversity Information Science and Standards, 4 : doi: 10.3897/biss.4.59341

Smith V, Scott B, Livermore L, Kiddle P, Vincent S, Woodburn M (null) Sustaining Community Data Infrastructures: Challenges and Opportunities with the Scratchpad Virtual Research Environment. Biodiversity Information Science and Standards, 2 : e26323 - e26323. doi: 10.3897/biss.2.26323

Thessen A, Shorthouse D, Paul D, Conlon M, Woodburn M, Koureas D, Ramdeen S, Haak L, Cornwell P (null) A Proposed Metadata Standard for Recording and Sharing Attribution Information in Biodiversity. Biodiversity Information Science and Standards, 3 : doi: 10.3897/biss.3.35169

Thessen AE, Woodburn M, Koureas D, Paul D, Conlon M, Shorthouse DP, Ramdeen S (null) Proper Attribution for Curation and Maintenance of Research Collections: Metadata Recommendations of the RDA/TDWG Working Group. Data Science Journal, 18 (1) : 54 - 54. doi: 10.5334/dsj-2019-054

Trekels M, Woodburn M, Paul DL, Grant S, Webbink K, Jones J, Groom Q (null) How do you Develop a Data Standard? Wikibase might be the Solution…. Biodiversity Information Science and Standards, 4 : doi: 10.3897/biss.4.59211

Wilson S, Russell D, Miller G, Carine M, Valentine C, Loader S, Woodburn M, Vincent S, Stevens L, Thompson K, Smith D, Price B, Heath T (null) Join the Dots: assessing 80 million items at the Natural History Museum, London. Biodiversity Information Science and Standards, 2 : e26500 - e26500. doi: 10.3897/biss.2.26500

Woodburn M, Paul DL, Addink W, Baskauf SJ, Blum S, Chapman C, Grant S, Groom Q, Jones J, Petersen M, Raes N, Smith D, Tilley L, Trekels M, Trizna M, Ulate W, Vincent S, Walls R, Webbink K, Zermoglio P (null) Unity in Variety: Developing a collection description standard by consensus. Biodiversity Information Science and Standards, 4 : doi: 10.3897/biss.4.59233

Woodburn M, Paul DL, Ulate W, Raes N (null) Exposing the Dark Data of Undigitized Collections: A TDWG global standard for collection descriptions. Biodiversity Information Science and Standards, 3 : doi: 10.3897/biss.3.37201

Woodburn M, Vincent S, Hardy H, Valentine C (null) Join the Dots: Adding collection assessment to collection descriptions. Biodiversity Information Science and Standards, 3 : doi: 10.3897/biss.3.37200

Introduction

Summary

I am the science data architect for the Natural History Museum's Digital Collections Programme, which will ultimately digitise the museum's 80 million specimens and make the data available to the global scientific community. Following an education in life sciences, I've worked predominantly in data architecture and system design, development and consultancy in the private and academic sectors. Working at the NHM provides the ideal opportunity to combine my interests and experience.

Qualifications

    Degrees

  • MRes, University of Manchester, United Kingdom, 2000 - 2001
  • BSc (Hons), University of Manchester, United Kingdom, 1997 - 2000

Employment history

    Non-academic

    Science Data Architect, Natural History Museum, 2014 - ongoing

    Information Systems Manager, NIHR BioResource, University of Cambridge, NIHR BioResource, 2012 - 2014

    Head of Sample Informatics, JDRF/Wellcome Trust Diabetes and Inflammation Laboratory, University of Cambridge, 2011 - 2012

    Software Engineer, JDRF/Wellcome Trust Diabetes and Inflammation Laboratory, University of Cambridge, 2008 - 2011

    Software Developer, Self-employed, 2007 - 2008

    Computer Maintenance Engineer, Realize-IT Ltd, 2006 - 2006

    Software Developer, Webhaven Ltd, 2006 - 2007

    Consultant, Dunnett Shaw Ltd, 2002 - 2005

Publications

Publications

Scott B, Baker E, Woodburn M, Vincent S, Hardy H, Smith VS (2019) The Natural History Museum Data Portal. Database, 2019 : doi: 10.1093/database/baz038

Brierley MJ, Ashworth AJ, Craven TP, Woodburn M, Banks JR, Lu W, Riccardi D, Balment RJ, McCrohan CR (2003) Electrical activity of caudal neurosecretory neurons in seawater- and freshwater-adapted flounder: responses to cholinergic agonists. Journal of Experimental Biology, 206 (22) : 4011 - 4020. doi: 10.1242/jeb.00631

Casino A, Raes N, Addink W, Woodburn M (null) Collections Digitization and Assessment Dashboard, a Tool for Supporting Informed Decisions. Biodiversity Information Science and Standards, 3 : doi: 10.3897/biss.3.37505

Cocks N, Livermore L, Smith V, Woodburn M (null) Technical capacities of digitisation centres within ICEDIG participating institutions. Research Ideas and Outcomes, 6 : doi: 10.3897/rio.6.e55522

Dixey K, Woodburn M, Hardy H, Livermore L, Smith V (null) Identification of provisional Centres of Excellence for digitisation of European natural science collections. Research Ideas and Outcomes, 6 : doi: 10.3897/rio.6.e57750

Hardisty A, Livermore L, Walton S, Woodburn M, Hardy H (null) Costbook of the digitisation infrastructure of DiSSCo. Research Ideas and Outcomes, 6 : doi: 10.3897/rio.6.e58915

Hardy H, Smith V, Livermore L, Allan EL, Dupont S, Woodburn M, Vincent S (null) What 5 Years of Digitisation Teaches Us About What Comes Next. Biodiversity Information Science and Standards, 3 : doi: 10.3897/biss.3.37044

Hobern D, Paul DL, Robertson T, Groom Q, Thiers B, Asase A, Luo M, Semal P, Woodburn M, Zschuschen E (null) Advancing the Catalogue of the World’s Natural History Collections. Biodiversity Information Science and Standards, 4 : doi: 10.3897/biss.4.59324

Raes N, van Egmond E, Casino A, Woodburn M, Paul DL (null) Towards a Global Collection Description Standard. Biodiversity Information Science and Standards, 3 : doi: 10.3897/biss.3.37894

Smith V, Dupont S, Woodburn M (null) Towards Community Collections Management. Biodiversity Information Science and Standards, 4 : doi: 10.3897/biss.4.59341

Smith V, Scott B, Livermore L, Kiddle P, Vincent S, Woodburn M (null) Sustaining Community Data Infrastructures: Challenges and Opportunities with the Scratchpad Virtual Research Environment. Biodiversity Information Science and Standards, 2 : e26323 - e26323. doi: 10.3897/biss.2.26323

Thessen A, Shorthouse D, Paul D, Conlon M, Woodburn M, Koureas D, Ramdeen S, Haak L, Cornwell P (null) A Proposed Metadata Standard for Recording and Sharing Attribution Information in Biodiversity. Biodiversity Information Science and Standards, 3 : doi: 10.3897/biss.3.35169

Thessen AE, Woodburn M, Koureas D, Paul D, Conlon M, Shorthouse DP, Ramdeen S (null) Proper Attribution for Curation and Maintenance of Research Collections: Metadata Recommendations of the RDA/TDWG Working Group. Data Science Journal, 18 (1) : 54 - 54. doi: 10.5334/dsj-2019-054

Trekels M, Woodburn M, Paul DL, Grant S, Webbink K, Jones J, Groom Q (null) How do you Develop a Data Standard? Wikibase might be the Solution…. Biodiversity Information Science and Standards, 4 : doi: 10.3897/biss.4.59211

Wilson S, Russell D, Miller G, Carine M, Valentine C, Loader S, Woodburn M, Vincent S, Stevens L, Thompson K, Smith D, Price B, Heath T (null) Join the Dots: assessing 80 million items at the Natural History Museum, London. Biodiversity Information Science and Standards, 2 : e26500 - e26500. doi: 10.3897/biss.2.26500

Woodburn M, Paul DL, Addink W, Baskauf SJ, Blum S, Chapman C, Grant S, Groom Q, Jones J, Petersen M, Raes N, Smith D, Tilley L, Trekels M, Trizna M, Ulate W, Vincent S, Walls R, Webbink K, Zermoglio P (null) Unity in Variety: Developing a collection description standard by consensus. Biodiversity Information Science and Standards, 4 : doi: 10.3897/biss.4.59233

Woodburn M, Paul DL, Ulate W, Raes N (null) Exposing the Dark Data of Undigitized Collections: A TDWG global standard for collection descriptions. Biodiversity Information Science and Standards, 3 : doi: 10.3897/biss.3.37201

Woodburn M, Vincent S, Hardy H, Valentine C (null) Join the Dots: Adding collection assessment to collection descriptions. Biodiversity Information Science and Standards, 3 : doi: 10.3897/biss.3.37200