Xper3 is a web platform dedicated to managing descriptive data in a collaborative way. The Xper3 data model is closely based on the SDD (Structured Descriptive Data) format, which makes it compatible with any other application using this standard format.

The use of a standard file format eases the collaborative process between taxonomists, who can exchange their complete knowledge bases in the SDD format, but this kind of collaboration has its own limitations, such as the need to merge files, which may lead to conflicts. The collaborative features of Xper3 address these limitations, by allowing taxonomists to work simultaneously, remotely and securely on the same knowledge base. Xper3 includes conflict management tools, data merging tools, and partial import tools.

Xper3 is still in development. We will demo Xper3’s collaborative features, as well as the interactive identification interface. A beta version will be released in late 2013, at www.xper3.com