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Frequency of data updates

The data you publish in Genesys is not a one-and-done thing; it is a living reflection of your collection. Keeping it accurate ensures it remains useful and maintains your genebank's credibility.

Keeping your Genesys data current is important. Out-of-date records can lead to frustrated users, inaccurate collection counts and lost context for historical accessions. Here we cover why regular updates matter, how to handle accessions whose status changes over time (especially the difference between active and historical accessions), and the recommended update frequency.

Why regular updates matter​

Out-of-date records can lead to a number of issues:

Users may request unavailable material. Genesys shows the availability of each accession. If an accession has been lost, retired or become unavailable but its record has not been updated, users may request material you cannot provide. This wastes everyone's time and can discourage future requests.

Your collection may be misrepresented. New accessions from collecting missions, safety duplications or acquisitions may take months to appear in Genesys. Conversely, accessions that have been withdrawn may remain listed as part of your active collection. Users cannot get an accurate picture of what you conserve.

Users may miss material they need. New accessions, updated identifications and corrected passport data can make material easier to find. Until these changes reach Genesys, researchers searching by crop, species, origin or other characteristics may overlook relevant accessions.

Published research may become harder to trace. Accessions may be transferred, reclassified or assigned updated identifiers. If these changes are not reflected in Genesys, users may struggle to connect an accession's current record with older publications, datasets or records from other genebanks. Retaining historical information is essential to maintaining these links.

Users may make decisions based on outdated information. Researchers use passport data to assess whether accessions are relevant to their work and to compare material from different sources. If corrections to provenance, taxonomy or other key information are delayed, they may select material on the basis of information that the genebank itself no longer considers accurate.

However, infrequent large updates are better than no updates at all. If a monthly schedule is not feasible, a well-executed annual refresh is better than aiming for updates that never happen.

Active vs. historical accessions​

An accession record on Genesys has one of two states:

  • Active: the accession is held in your genebank and available, subject to your distribution policy
  • Historical: the accession is no longer held because it was deaccessioned, transferred, lost or removed from your active collection

Update the status of a historical accession instead of deleting the record. This may seem counterintuitive, but it is important for several reasons:

  • External references may break. Accessions may be cited in publications, referenced in other databases (such as GLIS DOIs, national inventories or EURISCO) or listed in SMTAs. Deleting the record breaks these references.
  • Historical records remain useful. Researchers tracking collecting patterns or curators investigating provenance benefit from knowing your institute once held an accession, even if it no longer does.
  • Records can be restored. Accessions can return if a safety duplicate is repatriated, a lost line is re-collected or a de-accessioning is reversed. Preserving the historical record makes this easier.
  • Genesys adds two fields to the MCPD because the standard itself does not have a dedicated historical status field:
    • HISTORIC: a boolean flag (true or false). Setting this to true marks the accession as no longer held by your genebank. This is the simplest way to mark an accession as historical.
    • CURATION: a field that captures the curation state. Accepted values are FULL, PARTIAL, ARCHIVED, and HISTORICAL. If both are set, CURATION takes precedence.

For most cases, setting HISTORIC to true is enough. CURATION allows for finer distinctions, such as distinguishing between fully curated (FULL), partially enriched (PARTIAL) or archived records (ARCHIVED or HISTORICAL).

Historical accessions cannot be requested through Genesys

Once you mark an accession as HISTORIC or set CURATION to HISTORICAL or ARCHIVED, users can no longer request it. The record remains visible for discovery and citation, but it is no longer available for distribution.

We recommend updating your data after any major curation event and at least once a year, even if no records have changed.

An annual refresh confirms your data is current. Without it, users cannot tell if your data is accurate but unchanged, or if you have stopped updating it.

You should consider updating outside the annual cycle when:

  • A collecting mission returns with new accessions
  • Safety duplications are received or sent
  • A significant curation project is completed, such as a taxonomic revision of a genus or coordinate refinement for older accessions
  • Accessions are de-accessioned, transferred, or lost
  • Characterization or evaluation data becomes available
  • The availability status of a significant part of your collection changes

Making updates practical: tie curation to existing operations​

Updating your data is more sustainable when tied to your existing workflows rather than treated as a separate task. For example, you can:

  • Review and update the passport record when you regenerate an accession
  • Add new material to Genesys as part of the accession workflow, rather than waiting months
  • Update DUPLSITE when you receive or send safety duplicates
  • **Catch any needed updates when you respond to a material request

Curation is easier when it is small and frequent, rather than a large annual event.

What happens to your data if you stop updating​

Genesys does not delete or archive your data if you stop updating. Records remain visible and requestable. However, users may judge your data by its last update date. A collection not updated for years may be viewed with skepticism, and you may receive more requests for material you cannot provide.

The Genesys helpdesk contacts Data Providers who have not updated for a long time to check their status and offer help with re-uploading data.

Where to go next​

  • Maintaining quality: ongoing curation practices, keeping your software and reference lists current, and communicating major changes
  • How to get help: the resources available to you when questions or problems arise