A call for standardization in wild bee data collection and curation

Standardizing data collection methods is essential for advancing research, monitoring, and conservation efforts on bees. Greater consistency in data practices will enable the production of higher-quality, interoperable datasets, fostering a deeper understanding of bee populations and trends over time. This special issue series of Journal of Melittology presents six articles outlining standardized protocols and data standards to support wild bee data collection efforts, together with this article, which makes a general argument for greater standardization. These protocols are applicable to a wide range of research efforts to maximize the quality and use of wild bee occurrence data and can also be integrated into formal monitoring programs. Here, we first outline the need for, and an overview of, a series of standardized protocols and data standards developed in association with the U.S. National Native Bee Monitoring Research Coordination Network. We provide guidance on how to decide among the protocols to achieve different objectives. We then summarize key features of the protocols, including (i) how they are designed to focus on collecting only essential information, while also providing additional recommendations; (ii) that they are intended to be embedded within whatever broader sampling schemes have been designed to meet individual project or program objectives; and (iii) their emphasis on data standards. Lastly, we argue for the collection of additional ecological information that can be used to contextualize wild bee occurrence data. This information supports hypothesis testing to better understand the causal drivers underlying the status and trends of wild bees.