New Features of SIS 2
SIS 2 has a number of new features and further new functionality is planned for release. Some of the new features include the following:
1. A dedicated back-end database (as opposed to the current xml-based storage schema) which allows for better data management
2. New layouts (additional changes to the user interface are in the pipeline)
3. New navigation features (please look at the videos on the home page to familiarize yourselves with these changes)
4. A new panel for alerting users to new functionality or feature changes
5. A new bug/issue reporting system (this is the dark cloud under the SIS logo) – this system will allow users to view all bugs/issues already reported.
6. Some new report functions (more reports are in the pipeline)
7. Advanced search options which provide additional filters like higher taxonomy, assessor name or even country of occurrence (the default search now includes synonyms and you can search on names and find them – provided they are in the system - even if there is no assessment attached to them)
8. Recent searches are saved so you can quickly get back to them.
9. The logout button is now under the SIS logo alongside the bug reporter, to the left of that the cog wheel contains a variety of general tools. Note that the SIS logo is now a hyperlink back to the home page – so if you get lost you can always click that to get back to the start.
10. The “cog wheel “ approach is also used to hold all the tools related to individual fields within an assessment (i.e. the clipboard, notes, references, definitions, etc. tools).
11. The Taxon Home page has a different layout with the functions to edit synonyms, common names and taxonomic notes all on the 1st tab, the 2nd tab has the assessments and the 3rd tab shows which working sets the taxon is in (note if you have an assessment open, the taxon name to the left in red is a hyperlink back to the taxon’s home page).
12. On the Taxon Home Page the “Assess Taxon” function is now different – you can no longer create a “user” assessment, only a “draft” one, then you have to select what Assessment schema to use – most users would select “Red List Assessments”, the “Birdlife” option is specifically for BirdLife users and the “Trade/Use” option creates a separate “assessment” which enables more detailed (often site specific) trade and use information to be captured, rather than just the summary data on trade and use which is captured within a taxon’s Red List assessment.
13. Within an assessment, there is a new option on the toolbar to “manage credits”. You can use this to add and edit everyone associated with any assessment – assessors, contributors, reviewers, and facilitators/compilers – that latter is a new field. This tool can also be used by everyone for adding new people to the system (this does not create active SIS user accounts – that still has to be done centrally via the Red List Unit, this tool just adds contact names to the system so they can be used in one of the fields mentioned above – the same functionality is also under the general tools).
14. The “Tools” function on the assessment toolbar has a “changes” function which allows you to see a full history of all changes/edits to each and every field in an assessment and allows you to roll-back to an earlier version. Care is needed when using this function as you could lose data!
15. The navigation bar at the top of the screen can be closed to give you more screen space if required, especially when editing assessments.
16. Note that you can use the back and forwards buttons on your browser to navigate through SIS now (previously it took you out of SIS).
17. The General Tools also include a new bookmarks function, so you can specifically bookmark certain pages in SIS, those bookmarks can also be emailed to colleagues.
** Note: In navigating please remember to double-click to open working sets, open a taxon to its home page, etc. **