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Title: USE OF THE WORLD WIDE WEB TO DISTRIBUTE GENETIC EVALUATION INFORMATION

Author
item Lake, Jill
item Wiggans, George
item Van Tassell, Curtis - Curt

Submitted to: American Dairy Science Association Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/27/1999
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The Animal Improvement Programs Laboratory (AIPL) has developed a web site (http://aipl.arsusda.gov) to allow worldwide access to information on genetic evaluation of U.S. dairy cattle. The web pages contain quarterly reports, computer formats, documentation related to evaluations, links to related web sites, contact personnel, and recent publications. The primary goal in developing the web site was to allow access to information related to genetic evaluations in an easy, timely manner. This site was accessed nearly 10,000 times in 1997. All visitors have access to evaluation queries for single animals. Industry cooperators, including breed associations, dairy records processing centers, Dairy Herd Improvement affiliates, and artificial-insemination organizations, have individualized pages that require passwords so that access to sensitive data is limited. Each organization-specific web page contains up to 18 applications for queries for both single and multiple animals. Examples of information that can be obtained are 4-generation pedigrees, lists of cow contemporaries and yields, and evaluation information for bull daughters. Using a point- and-click interface, industry cooperators can upload files of request information to AIPL, process requests, and download results to local computers. The query system provides industry cooperators with a simple, consistent, and universally known user interface to obtain data. Future enhancements include cooperator access to error reports and checking records for errors on line. In addition to industry-specific web pages, cooperators can access a password-protected FTP site. This site allows receipt and distribution of sensitive data to appropriate cooperators while maintaining adequate security for the AIPL computing system.