Publication
The reuse of avian samples: opportunities, pitfalls, and a solution
Publisher:
Wiley
Date:
26-07-2022
DOI:
10.1111/IBI.12997
Abstract: Tissue s les are frequently collected to study various aspects of avian biology, but in many cases these s les are not used in their entirety and are stored by the collector. The already collected s les provide a largely overlooked opportunity because they can be used by different researchers in different biological fields. Broad reuse of s les could result in multispecies or large‐scale studies, interdisciplinary collaborations, and the generation of new ideas, thereby increasing the quality and impact of research. S le reuse could also reduce the number of new s les needed for a study, which is especially pertinent to endangered species where s le collection is necessarily limited. Importantly, reusing s les may be mutually beneficial for both the researchers providing s les and those reusing them. Here, we identify the benefits of s le reuse, describe currently available sources of already collected s les and their limitations, and highlight the wide range of potential applications in a single research field – avian isotopic ecology. To facilitate the reuse of avian s les worldwide and across research fields, we introduce the AviS le Network metadata repository. The main aims of this metadata repository are to collate and provide access to descriptions of available avian tissue s les. We contend that the creation of the AviS le Network metadata repository will provide the opportunity for new collaborations and studies. Moreover, we believe that this will help create research connections between ornithologists across the globe and encourage s le reuse in other fields.