Species360 Research Requests

Data sharing is central to Species360’s mission, and for over 50 years, Species360 members have contributed to the world’s largest database of animals in human care, known as the Zoological Information Management System (ZIMS).

The Species360 Conservation Science Alliance (CSA) serves as a platform for data science collaborations, aiming to maximize the positive impact of ZIMS data to improve animal care and welfare, support conservation efforts, and advance scientific research, all while ensuring the privacy of Species360 member data.

The CSA also offers expertise and consultation services related to ZIMS data to promote its responsible use in research applications. As part of the CSA, the Species360 Science Team, who have a deep understanding of the data in ZIMS, can help you understand the complexity and biases of ZIMS data.

Community members interested in accessing ZIMS data can submit a Research Request, which involves approval by the Species360 Board of Trustees. There is no cost associated with Research Requests applications submitted by Species360 members. For non-members, a non-refundable application fee of $100.00 USD is required at the time of Research Request submission and will not be refunded if the request is rejected. Regardless of membership status, additional fees may be required for complex data queries.

In addition to data services, we offer you the opportunity to be affiliated with the Species360 Conservation Science Alliance and to use the CSA as one of your affiliations when publishing your manuscript. By being affiliated with the CSA, you will gain access to its global professional network, which includes academic researchers and experts from the zoo, aquarium, and conservation communities.

In collaboration with the Population Biology Team of the Department of Biology, and the Department of Mathematics (IMADA) at the University of Southern Denmark, the Species360 Science Team has developed tools to extract, clean, aggregate, and anonymize data from ZIMS for Husbandry. This allows Species360 to provide data in an accessible format while ensuring the anonymity of our members.

The below Research Request instructions are designed to inform researchers on how to obtain ZIMS data, either data that is openly available, data available through a membership/subscription, or data available through a Research Request.