About WorkBench (Bulk Upload) and Batch Edit in Specify

Documentation Data Cleanup
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:open_book: This guide defines two key components for data quality in Specify, the WorkBench and Batch Edit.

When managing biological and geological collections, data rarely arrives one record at a time. Whether you are digitizing a drawer of specimens from a legacy spreadsheet or updating storage locations across an entire cabinet, doing so manually is highly inefficient.

In Specify, two core components are designed to solve this problem: the Workbench (for bulk data import) and the Batch Edit tool (for bulk updates to existing records).

1. Workbench: Bulk Data Import

The WorkBench is Specify’s integrated tool for importing external data into your database. Instead of forcing you to navigate complex database tables or write custom migration scripts, the Workbench acts as an intelligent intermediary between flat data sheets and your relational schema.

What It Does

  • Spreadsheet Ingestion: It allows you to upload standard spreadsheet files (such as .csv or Excel formats) directly into a temporary grid interface within Specify.
  • Visual Mapping: You can map columns from your spreadsheet to the corresponding fields in Specify. For example, you can map a “Date” column directly to the Determined Date field on the Determination table.
  • Validation Checkpoints: Before any data touches your actual production database, the Workbench cross-checks your spreadsheet data against Specify’s strict validation rules (like data formats, required fields, and Pick List configurations) to catch errors early.

2. Batch Edit: Modifying Existing Records

While the Workbench excels at getting data into Specify, the Batch Edit tool is purpose-built for cleanly modifying data that is already there.

What It Does

Instead of manually opening and editing dozens or hundreds of individual specimen records, the Batch Edit tool applies edits to an entire group of records simultaneously. It targets records returned by a query in Query Builder or a pre-selected Record Set (a saved cohort of records generated from a query or manual selection) and allows modifying designated fields across all of them.

Common Use Cases

  • Data Cleaning: Standardizing a text field (e.g., measurement units or remarks) across an entire project cohort.
  • Bulk Annotations: Adding a shared note or internal remark to an entire loan batch or accession series. Adding metadata (e.g., capture device, resolution, creative commons, etc.) for existing attachments
  • Record Updates: Applying a specific Conservation Status value (e.g., “Endangered” or “Protected”) to all records belonging to a particular vulnerable species, adding newly obtained data to fields on dependent Attribute records.

Summary: When to Use Which?

Feature Primary Goal Starting Point Typical Action
Workbench :workbench_: Create new records from external sources. External spreadsheet file (.csv, .xlsx). Map, validate, and upload data into Specify tables.
Batch Edit :batchedit_: Modify existing records within the database. An internal Specify Query or Record Set. Update, add to, or remove data for many selected records at once.

For more information about the WorkBench or Batch Edit and how to use these tools, see the following guides:

Public Documentation