Services

Field research support, start to shelf

Mesozoic Research Center delivers six connected services for the paleontology field laboratory. Each one can stand alone, and each one is designed to hand its output to the next service without a re-keying step. Read the scope below, then tell us where your project currently sits.

Field journal note: all six services are quoted as named phases so an institution can begin with one bench or one season and add scope later.

Quarry Dig Seasons

A quarry season begins months before the first shovel turns soil. We start with a survey layout that ties every excavation unit to a documented grid, then configure the field data system so that locality numbers, stratigraphic notes, and recovery coordinates are captured at the moment a specimen is lifted. The kit includes rugged tablets, a local server that operates without cellular signal, and a simple synchronisation routine that runs when the crew returns to the lab.

Our team also produces the season paperwork: permission tracking, daily log templates, photo naming conventions, and a closing report that lists every unit opened, every specimen removed, and every context recorded. If a site is remote for weeks at a time, we build the solar and battery plan for the hardware as well. The aim is that a crew of four can run a clean season without carrying a filing cabinet into the desert.

Grid survey layout and locality code assignment
Offline field server, tablets, and battery plan
Daily log templates and photo naming standards
End of season reconciliation report

Specimen Preparation

Preparation turns a matrix-encased block into a readable specimen, and every action at the bench should be recoverable from the record. We configure the prep station around the way preparators actually work: task lighting positioned for the microscope, a camera mount that can swing over the work surface without being knocked, a dust extraction schedule that keeps optics clear, and a small touch display at arm length for entering progress notes without removing gloves.

The software side links each preparation event to the specimen, including consolidant applied, adhesive used, tools employed, and elapsed time. Photo sequences attach to the same record, so a curator reviewing the specimen a decade later can see the block before the scribe touched it. We also set up a microfossil sorting area with counts, slide references, and a light table workflow when the collection includes small material. All bench equipment is specified for dust tolerance and for parts that a local supplier can replace quickly.

Bench layout, lighting, and extraction plan
Imaging capture at the microscope and bench
Preparation event logging tied to specimen records
Microfossil sorting and slide reference workflow

Collection Curation

Curation is measured in decades. The system that holds a permanent collection has to survive staff turnover, server replacements, and at least one software migration. We begin by auditing what exists: legacy spreadsheets, box lists, accession ledgers, and informal notes. From that we write a normalised catalogue schema, migrate the records with a documented mapping, and build the check reports that prove nothing was dropped along the way.

Physical curation receives the same attention. We specify label stock and print settings so drawer labels remain legible in humid storage, define the numbering scheme for lots and individuals, and produce a shelf map that matches the catalogue locations exactly. Environmental sensors feed temperature and humidity history into each storage location record, giving a curator a defensible account of conditions. An audit trail records who moved what, when, and why, which is exactly what an accreditation review will ask for.

Catalogue audit and schema design
Migration with documented field mapping
Label printing and shelf mapping
Environmental monitoring and movement audit trail

Field School Programs

A field school is a teaching environment first and a data collection environment second. Students should learn the correct method, and the institution should still receive usable records at the end of term. Our program kit separates the two: a simplified entry interface for students that mirrors the professional form but removes advanced fields, and an instructor dashboard that flags incomplete coordinates, impossible dates, and duplicate locality numbers before they become part of the permanent catalogue.

Each kit ships with practice records, a printed field manual, grading rubrics that reward accuracy, and a set of network rules that keep student devices on the camp server and off the open internet. We run instructor training before the term starts and a short refresher after the first field week. Institutions that repeat the program each year keep the kit and receive a yearly configuration refresh as the catalogue schema evolves.

Student entry interface and instructor dashboard
Printed field manual and practice records
Grading rubrics and data quality checks
Instructor training and annual refresh

Museum Loan Support

Loans fail in the paperwork long before they fail in the crate. We build a shared portal where the lending institution and the borrowing institution record the same condition report at the same moment, attach photographs from a fixed set of angles, and sign off on environmental requirements. Packing checklists are generated from the specimen list, so a crate is only closed when every listed object has been photographed and placed.

The portal tracks outbound dates, expected return dates, permitted display conditions, and imaging rights. Reminders reach the registrar before a return date approaches, and the condition record from the borrowing institution is compared against the outbound report on arrival. Damaged returns trigger a documentation workflow instead of a phone argument. Institutions with existing collections management software receive an export in a format that software accepts, rather than a parallel record that duplicates work.

Shared condition reports with fixed photo angles
Packing checklists generated from loan lists
Return reminders and permitted use tracking
Export compatible with existing collection software

Research Visits

A visiting specialist should spend their time on specimens, not on permissions and logins. We coordinate visit scheduling, pre-stage the records a researcher has requested, and prepare a workstation with the right imaging setup for the material under study. Remote viewing sessions allow a specialist who cannot travel to review prepared specimens on a scheduled call with a technician operating the microscope, which is often the practical option for international collaborators.

Access is granted by role and expires automatically. Unpublished locality data stays restricted until the curator releases it, and every export carries a record of who requested it and what was included. At the end of a visit, we produce a short report for the collection manager listing what was examined, what was imaged, and what follow-up requests remain open. That report becomes the starting point for the next visit instead of a fresh intake conversation.

Visit scheduling and workstation preparation
Pre-staged specimen and imaging requests
Remote viewing sessions with technician support
Expiring access and export records

How an engagement runs

Every project follows the same three movements, whether the scope is a single bench or an entire collection room. The sequence keeps expectations clear and payments tied to visible progress.

First movement

Survey and specification

We visit, measure, interview staff, and audit existing records. You receive a written specification naming hardware, software, data schema, and the exact deliverables of the first phase.

Second movement

Build and install

Equipment is procured, stations are assembled, data is migrated, and staff are trained in short task-based sessions. We stay through the first working week to correct problems in place.

Third movement

Hand-off and review

The institution receives the owner manual, wiring diagrams, login ownership, recovery procedures, and a seasonal review schedule. The system becomes yours in practice, not only on paper.

Tell us what your next season looks like and we will reply with a written assessment and a first phase that fits your budget.

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