China National Biodiversity Information Query System

There is no mechanism for the exchange of biodiversity information in China . It is therefore necessary to establish a system for providing metadata to help people to find data and to understand its content and characteristics . The China National Biodiversity Information Query System (CNBIQS) is just such a metadatabase. Systems analysis, systems design and systems implemen tation for CNBIQS are discussed in this paper: CNBIQS includes metadata on institutions, data sets, databases, books and maps related to biodiversity. China is rich in information and the system reflects the present status of biodiversity information in the country. It possesses powerful functions f or information search, such as query by institute category, query by themat ic information category, query by title and query by author: (C) 1999 Acade mic Press.