Dashboard to facilitate Melia research

Abstract

Digital platforms like databases, dashboards, and web servers have become essential tools for scientists and stakeholders to understand and explain complex issues in a user-friendly manner. These platforms aim at content discovery, knowledge collation, and providing access to tools and services. The use of computational tools in biological sciences began with the Atlas of Protein Sequence and Structure in 1965, and the advent of open-source software in the 1970s further spurred the development of various digital platforms such as MaizeGDB, TAIR, and CancerEST. These platforms solve the fundamental task of identifying appropriate online resources, a previously laborious process involving ad-hoc internet searches and literature reviews. Specialized databases like AGRICOLA, AGRIS, and species-specific platforms like the Poplar database and TEAKNET provide comprehensive literature coverage. In India, Melia dubia, an indigenous fast-growing tree species, has garnered significant research interest, leading to the creation of a dedicated dashboard (https://cafri.icar.gov.in/melia-initiative/). This dashboard offers tools and resources to researchers, based on the CASIMIR Database Description Framework. Despite challenges like article indexing and financial support, such tree-specific dashboards are valuable for researchers, policy makers, and other stakeholders interested in woody perennials.