Georeferencing Best Practices (Chapman & Wieczorek 2020)

Comprehensive GBIF Secretariat publication providing best practices for georeferencing biological occurrence data. Covers theoretical foundations of georeferencing, the point-radius method for representing localities, calculating coordinateUncertaintyInMeters, datum transformations (importance of WGS84), and methods for georeferencing different locality types (named places, routes, offsets, transects). Discusses quality control procedures, common errors, and how to document georeferencing decisions. Critical reference for accurately georeferencing freshwater sampling sites in the Incomati Basin, where site identification often relies on verbal descriptions or sketch maps. Proper georeferencing ensures that biodiversity data can be spatially analysed, mapped, and integrated across the transboundary basin. Authors: Chapman AD & Wieczorek JR. GBIF Secretariat, Copenhagen.