​

 

ZIMS for Studbooks Definition List

 

A helpful glossary of terms for ZIMS for Studbooks

Contact Species360 Support

 

• All Animals in Studbook: A list of all animals recorded in the studbook, regardless of status.
• Approxafter: A type of estimated date that occurred sometime after the recorded date.
• Approxbefore : A type of estimated date that occurred sometime before the recorded date.
• Approxvariance : A type of estimated date that occurred sometime before or after the recorded date. Variance can be days, months or even years.
• Breadcrumb: A navigational tool that allows the user to keep track of where they are within the Studbooks module. The breadcrumb allows for quick navigation between screens. 
• Business Rule: Business rules dictate what combinations of data can and cannot be entered into the system. They ensure data is complete and logical and prevent data quality errors.
• Contraception: This is the data standard ZIMS uses instead of reproduction (legacy studbook data standard), which allows for multiple contraception methods to be recorded at the same time with different statuses. 
• Currentness Date: Date the studbook was last completely updated. This date is entered by the Studbook Keeper.
• Dashboard: The screen available when you first open the studbook. This is the main navigation screen for the studbook where you can access the animal lists, overview, institution list, and overlays.
• Data Entry Monitoring: Tool that allows the user to undo any action (add, edit, delete) taken in the studbook. Any action taken in ZIMS data that results in something being created, edited or removed. Running a report is not considered data entry in ZIMS, since all it does is compile the data that already exists. Creating a favorite search filter is considered data entry, even though it is not animal data. 
• Data Quality : List of possible errors and warnings that may affect the integrity of the studbook data.
• Data Standard: Standard selections for dropdowns and options within the system. Part of the challenge with a global database is that users may call the same thing by several names. This makes it difficult to search and compile the data for valuable information. Whenever Species360 can, we have created data standard selections instead of free text fields in ZIMS so that similar data is grouped accordingly.
• Draft Animal: Animal that is added to the studbook and does not yet have all the data entered that is required to save as a “permanent” studbook animal (animal with an assigned studbook ID). Users can navigate away from a draft animal and finish entering records at a later date.
• Deployment: Transition process from you SPARKS/PopLink studbook to ZIMS. This includes migration into ZIMS for Studbooks, training, and review of the migrated studbook.
• Global Accession Number (GAN): Number assigned to all animals entered in ZIMS for Husbandry. These are permanent identifiers that are tracked for an individual animal throughout its life. Even if an animal transfers between institutions, the GAN will remain assigned. GANs are used to link animals in Husbandry to studbook animals.

• Holder (Holding Institution):   The facility that physically has the animal and is responsible for its care. Holding Institutions have edit rights for most screens relevant to the animal. This facility may or may not own the animal legally.
• HYP (Hypothetical) Animal: An animal that can be added to the overlay. This animal is not a real animal in the studbook and is created for the purpose of creating assumptions within the studbook.
• Global Institution List: This list is also sometimes called the Species360 Institution List/Dictionary, this is institution data created and managed by Species360. All ZIMS users have access to this list for recordkeeping. Using global dictionary entries helps institutional data link between animal records.
• Incomplete Accession: Animal in Husbandry that has not been completely added into the institution’s records.  These animals will not display on the Suggested Animal List in the studbook.  
• Indeterminate: This is the data standard for information that will always be impossible to know.  Serious effort has been made to find this information but could not be found. 
• Last Edited Date: Date that the last addition, edit, or deletion occurred within the studbook (calculated by the system and not editable).
• Left Hand Navigation: Sometimes called sidebar. Primary menu throughout ZIMS for Studbooks.
• Legacy: In ZIMS for studbooks this term indicates studbook software that was previously used in data management (SPARKS/PopLink).
• Linked Animal: Animal in the studbook that is connected to an animal in Husbandry. Linked animals will have a Global Accession Number (GAN) associated with their record.  
• Living Animals: A list of all the currently living animals recorded in the studbook.  
• Local Collection: A collection created by a ZIMS institution. Animals in a private collection cannot be seen by anyone outside of the institution that created them. These animals will not display on the Suggested Animal List in the studbook.  
• Local Administrator: The person that has the responsibility of managing ZIMS at your sponsoring institution. They can add you as a ZIMS user and provide you roles within your institution. They cannot assign access to ZIMS for Studbooks.
• Local Institution: An institution created and managed by the Studbook Keeper. These are not shared with other ZIMS users and are accessible only from the studbook in which they were created.  
• Logical Identifier: An identifier that is not physical or you cannot see such as a house name or studbook ID.
• Merge: When two animals (GANs) in Husbandry are combined into one animal, resulting in one GAN.
• Migration: Process of converting a SPARKS or PopLink studbook to ZIMS for Studbooks. The studbook is migrated into a testing environment and then into live ZIMS. 
• Mnemonic: A unique shortened form of an institution's name that is assigned by Species360. 
• MULT#: A grouping of parents.
• Off ISIS: An animal that is no longer at a ZIMS member institution. The OFF ISIS designation is notification that the animal record is no longer updated in ZIMS.
• Owner (Owning Institution) : The facility that has legal ownership of the animal entity. If the Owning Institution is not also the Holding Institution, then the only edit rights they have is ownership. 
• Overlay : Overlays allow hypothetical changes to be made without editing your real studbook data.
• Pending Update List: List of animals in the studbook that are linked to Husbandry animals and have a difference between the studbook and Husbandry record.  
• Pending Updates: Notifications that populate for a linked Studbook animal’s records. Studbook Keepers can choose to accept or reject this information in their studbook. Accepted data is fully editable and changes made do not impact husbandry records. On migration, ZIMS will search for husbandry data not currently reflected in your linked studbook animals and create your update list.  
• Pin: Pinning is a form of favoriting information within the system for quick and easy access. For example, animals within a studbook or a studbook in the studbook list. 
• PMx: PMx   is a package of demographic and genetic analysis tools to assist with the management of breeding programs for wildlife species. It is created and maintained by the Species Conservation Toolkit Initiative (SCTI).
• Pre-birth: An egg, egg mass, or fetus. Pre-birth can be tracked in ZIMS for Husbandry but is not yet available in ZIMS for Studbooks.
• Physical Identifier : An identifier that can be seen, such as a tag or band.
• Range: A type of date estimate where a Start Date and an End Date are entered. You know the event occurred sometime between those two dates.
• Role: Roles provide specific access to a studbook. Roles can allow full access or limit access to data, for example a read only role. The role is assigned by the regional association and dictates the level of access the user has to the studbook.
• Sandbox Environment : Sometimes called the testing environment. This is a copy of ZIMS where the studbook is migrated during deployment for testing and review. This environment should not be used after the studbook migrate to live ZIMS.
• Scope : The scope of the studbook is defined during migration/creation of the studbook and controls what animals appear on your suggested animal list by default. A studbook's scope is either the regional association or institution that manages the studbook.
• Show History: A view of all the historical transactions for an individual animal.
• Species360 Member: An institution who is an active Species360 member. 
• Start Date: The date the studbook was started. Could differ by region – first day data was entered or date the studbook was commissioned. This date is editable by the Studbook Keeper and regional association administrator.
• Studbook Activity:   Stream of all the additions, deletions, edits made to animals in the studbook, it is located on the studbook dashboard.
• Studbook Admin: Studbook admin is designated by the regional association or institution to oversee all studbooks managed by their association or organization. Only a studbook admin can request the migration/creation of a studbook; grant access to a studbook; and adjust taxonomy of a studbook. If you do not know who your studbook admin is, you can contact    support@species360.org to find out.
• Studbook Animal Detail Activity: Stream of all the additions, deletions, edits and data quality errors for an individual animal. Located on the animal detail screen.
• Studbook Dashboard:   A main screen that serves as a jumping-off point for the user to access studbook data.
• Studbook from ZIMS Data: Sometimes referred to as a studbook from scratch. This is a studbook that was created in ZIMS by automatically pulling data from ZIMS for Husbandry records.
• Studbook List: A list of all the Studbooks a user has been given access to by the regional association.  The Studbook List is the access point to all studbook data.
• Studbook Number Settings: Location where users can view and edit the studbook number sequence. Located in the Overview screen.
• Suggested Animal List: List of animals in Husbandry institutional records that the system cannot find in the studbook or have not yet been linked to a studbook animal. Animals must meet the taxonomy of the studbook to display on this list.
• Suggested Animals: Animals that display on the Suggested List. These are animals in Husbandry institutional records but that cannot be found in the studbook.  The Studbook Keeper can choose to add these animals to the studbook.
• Synonyms: A different word, phrase, or common misspellings that refers to an institution or a taxonomy.  
• Taxonomy Determination: A method that was used to determine the taxonomy of the animal.
• Undetermined: This is the data standard for information that is not known but could be in the future. This replaces Unknown. 
• Unlink Animal: Removing link between the Studbook animal and the Husbandry animal. Once a studbook animal is unlinked from the Husbandry animal the institutional data will no longer be visible within the animal record. An unlinked animal can be linked to a new Husbandry animal.
• WalkMe: Help menu in ZIMS that can be accessed from any screen. Located in the top right-hand corner. Contains all help/training documentation for ZIMS.
• ZIMS for Husbandry: ZIMS module that registrars and other record keepers use to record animal data.  This module populates pending updates and suggested animals in the ZIMS for Studbooks module.
• ZIMS for Medical: ZIMS module that vet staff and other record keepers use to record medical animal data. This module does not interact with ZIMS for Studbooks.
• ZIMS Institution: An institution who is managing their data in ZIMS.

 

Revised 5 March 2025