Build the archive in layers: define what one record represents, choose a small set of observations from one source, and make the records browsable as cards or a table before adding a map. HTML, CSS, and JavaScript are enough for a first version. Each entry should preserve a link to its original record and identify its data source, image credit, and applicable license.
1. Choose a clear scope and record format
Start with a manageable boundary: a particular place, a group of species, or a small collection of observations. Decide what a single entry means before collecting data. An observation, a species profile, and a collection of sightings are different things; if the archive includes more than one type, label them clearly rather than presenting them as equivalent records.
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Plan a consistent set of fields. A useful starting record can include:
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- Observation date
- Location, or a deliberately generalized location when exact coordinates should not be displayed
- A link to the original source record and its identifier
- Observer credit, when available
- Image credit and the image’s applicable license
Keep provenance with the record instead of treating it as optional display decoration. A reader should be able to find the original observation, and you should be able to tell which terms apply to the data and which apply to its image.
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2. Pick a data source that fits the archive
GBIF and iNaturalist both document ways to retrieve records, but their services and records are not interchangeable. Choose based on the observations you need, the fields and query behavior available, and whether you can meet the relevant reuse terms.
| Consideration | GBIF | iNaturalist |
|---|---|---|
| Records | Occurrence records; consult the GBIF occurrence API reference to inspect retrieval options and fields. | Observations; the iNaturalist API documents query parameters, pagination, response formats, and filters, including photo-license filters. |
| Maps | Provides a map-tile service and names Leaflet as a compatible client in its Maps API documentation. | The cited API documentation covers observations; the materials cited here do not establish an equivalent iNaturalist map-tile service. |
| Reuse checks | Check the terms attached to the specific records and assets you use; do not assume a record’s availability grants image reuse rights. | Check each observation and each image separately. iNaturalist’s licensing guidance says content remains its creator’s intellectual property and describes CC BY-NC as the default photo and sound license. |
| Scale and requests | Use the documented API for an appropriately scoped project and check current service guidance for your intended volume. | Its developer guidance states a maximum of 100 requests per minute and asks users to try to stay at or below 60; it recommends bulk datasets for large-scale needs. |
For a first version, choose one source and inspect a small sample before designing the display. The GBIF occurrence reference and iNaturalist API documentation describe their respective record access. Avoid retrieving a large collection until your record structure and interface are working.
3. Build the archive list before adding a map
Render the records as readable cards or a table, with a link back to each source record. Then add filters only for fields that are present and represented consistently—for example, species, date, or place. A filter for missing or inconsistent data will make the archive harder to use rather than more useful.
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Keep the list available when you add a map. Visitors should be able to browse names, dates, and source links without having to interpret a visual display. Use the W3C WAI accessibility tutorials while building images, tables, and interactive controls; they provide task-oriented guidance for common web content.
4. Add a map as a second way to explore
A map can make locations easier to explore, but it should complement—not replace—the textual archive. GBIF’s Maps API supplies web map tiles and explicitly notes compatibility with libraries such as Leaflet. Explain what each marker represents, and avoid presenting a visible pattern as proof of a species’ abundance or absence: a map of collected records is not, by itself, a complete account of wildlife distribution.
5. Handle attribution and image licenses record by record
Observation data and photographs can have different licensing terms. iNaturalist says content remains the creator’s intellectual property and describes CC BY-NC as the default license for photos and sounds. That is not blanket permission for commercial reuse. Check the current license for each item, preserve required attribution, and do not infer permission to reuse a photograph simply because it is publicly visible or returned by an API. See iNaturalist’s licensing guidance and its API documentation.
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Store the source and license alongside each displayed asset. This makes it easier to credit material correctly and to remove or replace an image if its terms do not fit your project.
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6. Keep API use modest as the archive grows
For iNaturalist, the developer guidance states a maximum of 100 requests per minute and asks applications to try to remain at or below 60 requests per minute. The same guidance recommends bulk datasets rather than API scraping for large-scale needs. These are service-specific figures and recommendations; review the current documentation before deployment. Its API recommended practices offer further service guidance.
For an early archive, start with the smallest useful sample and avoid issuing a request for every page interaction if the records can be loaded and filtered more simply. Whatever source you use, check its current documentation against your expected volume and request pattern.
Optional learning resource
If you want a structured introduction to mapping, Michael Dorman’s Introduction to Web Mapping covers HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Leaflet, GeoJSON, and interactive web mapping. Routledge describes it as teaching readers to develop online interactive web maps and applications using standard web technologies; its publisher listing and the Google Books catalog provide more detail. It is optional: the official API documentation is available without the book.
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