BGIS : A Searchable Relational Database of Buddhist Monasteries in China

Title slide: BGIS - A Searchable Relational Database of Buddhist Monasteries in China, by Jiang Wu, Associate Professor, The University of Arizona.
Slide 'Source materials': Chan lamp histories, Biographies of Eminent Monks, chronological biographies, recorded sayings and collections, mountain gazetteers.
Slide 'Hierarchy of Chan Patriarchs': one master to many disciples, one disciple to one master, with exceptions; beside a transmission chart from Huineng down.
Slide 'Summary: Elements of Relationship': people (names, dates, affiliation, masters, disciples), monasteries (name, location), texts (title, author, date).
Slide 'Design Model': a Query box over databases for Tang, Song, Ming and modern monasteries, expanding into personal, monk, monastery, text and image info.
Slide 'Search Functions': basic search with cross-referencing, plus monk, monastery (with coordinates and a map) and text search, each linking related records.
Slide 'Advanced Search': combine criteria - trace a master's disciples over N generations and map their monasteries, or list a monastery's abbots by date range.