Invasiveness Screening Kit (ISK) v3
A free Microsoft Excel-based decision-support platform integrating AS-ISK, TAS-ISK and TPS-ISK for screening non-native species and calibrating risk outcomes across aquatic organisms, terrestrial animals and terrestrial plants.
The ISK v3 toolkits
ISK v3 preserves the three toolkit-specific screening protocols while integrating them within the v3 software environment.
Aquatic Species
Invasiveness Screening Kit
Terrestrial Animal Species
Invasiveness Screening Kit
Terrestrial Plant Species
Invasiveness Screening Kit
Decision support tools for the identification of invasive species
ISK v3 consolidates the previously separate AS-ISK, TAS-ISK and TPS-ISK v2 applications into a single software environment with toolkit-specific workflows, harmonised database handling and a common multilingual interface.
What ISK v3 provides
ISK v3 supports the screening of non-native species and calibration of risk outcomes across aquatic organisms, terrestrial animals and terrestrial plants. It is intended for scientific, institutional and non-commercial decision support.
Use and support
The software package may be downloaded free of charge and freely distributed for scientific, institutional and non-commercial use, provided that the accompanying notice is retained.
No warranty, expressed or implied, is made. Users should satisfy themselves as to the applicability of the results in any given circumstance.
For further information and support, contact Prof. Lorenzo Vilizzi.
Download ISK v3
Download the ISK v3 software package with User Guide, Help files and sample databases.
Replace the placeholder below with the official ROPME download link when the package is hosted.
Package: zipped folder containing ISK v3 workbook files, User Guide, Help files and sample databases.
Main features of ISK v3
ISK v3 provides a redesigned software environment for creating, managing, checking, merging, analysing, reporting, and exporting screening records.
Integrated platform and interface
- Unified ISK v3 platform for AS-ISK, TAS-ISK and TPS-ISK
- Toolkit selection from a common Start dialog
- Toolkit-specific Console dialogs
- Language, colour scheme, contrast and Full/Compact dialog-view options
- Direct access to User Guide, Overview, Credits and context-specific Help files
Database workflows and compatibility
- Harmonised v3 database structure across the three toolkits
- Opening existing databases and creating new databases
- Compatibility checks for formatting, consistency, duplicates and orphaned question entries
- Automatic conversion of compatible previous databases to the v3 structure
- Import of legacy aquatic ISK I databases into AS-ISK
Screening management and Q&A
- Redesigned Main Screening Workspace
- Tabbed pages for Screenings, Threshold, Risk Summary, Report and Data Tools
- Create, edit, batch edit, delete and replicate screenings
- Wizard for generating screening templates
- Q&A workflows for response, confidence, scope and justification
Taxonomic verification
- Local taxon-name autocomplete using a built-in EASIN-derived taxon-name table
- Optional online verification through WoRMS, GBIF, POWO, ITIS, Catalogue of Life and NCBI Taxonomy
- User-confirmed updating of accepted names, higher-level taxonomy and source URLs where available
Thresholds and calibration
- Group-based threshold management by Risk Assessment Area and Category
- Built-in generalised thresholds where available
- Built-in ROC curve-based calibration for deriving thresholds
- ROC output details including AUC, confidence interval, sensitivity, specificity, Youden’s J and confusion-matrix counts
- Optional one-page ROC threshold summary PDF
Outputs and data tools
- Risk Summary output by Taxon or Category
- Correct treatment of multiple screenings for the same taxon in the same Risk Assessment Area
- Updated report generation for one or more selected complete screenings
- Merge function for combining up to 50 compatible database records
- Compact Export routine and Re-score function using current ISK v3 logic
Background and development
ISK v3 is the first integrated release of the ISK software platform, combining AS-ISK, TAS-ISK and TPS-ISK within a single decision-support environment.
ROPME support is acknowledged in recognition of its role in funding and enabling the v3 integrated release.
The ISK family of tools takes its origin from questions in the Weed Risk Assessment toolkit of Pheloung et al. (1999). The WRA architecture and questions were used to create the freshwater Fish Invasiveness Screening Kit (FISK v1), which was subsequently enhanced as FISK v2.
FISK and its sister tools provided the methodological and software predecessors of AS-ISK. These tools include S-FISK, Amph-ISK, FI-ISK, MFISK and MI-ISK, whose database spreadsheets can be imported into AS-ISK for updating previous aquatic screenings to the AS-ISK protocol.
The integration, redesign, restructuring, database architecture, graphical interface, computational programming and software development of ISK v3 were undertaken by Lorenzo Vilizzi at the University of Lodz under Phase II support from ROPME, Kuwait.
Funding for ISK v3 was provided in full by ROPME under a formal contractual framework and within ROPME’s new strategic directions, specifically Goal I: Biodiversity Conservation Programme, in support of the regional marine invasive species programme in the ROPME Sea Area.
Compatibility with previous ISK databases
ISK v3 supports continuity with previous screening work while encouraging users to adopt the integrated v3 release for new screenings.
Previous databases
ISK v3 can open compatible AS-ISK v1 databases and compatible AS-ISK, TAS-ISK and TPS-ISK v2/v3 databases, subject to automatic formatting, consistency and duplicate-entry checks.
Where older database formats are opened, ISK v3 converts the data structure as needed, removes incompatible legacy threshold values where applicable, re-scores screenings using current v3 logic, and preserves original screening dates where available.
Legacy aquatic ISK I import
Within AS-ISK, ISK v3 can import legacy ISK I databases generated by FISK v2, FISK v1, S-FISK, Amph-ISK, FI-ISK, MFISK and MI-ISK.
This allows previous aquatic screenings to be updated to the AS-ISK protocol. The previous AS-ISK, TAS-ISK and TPS-ISK v2.4.1 packages are now superseded by ISK v3.
Launching ISK v3
ISK v3 is a Microsoft Excel macro-enabled workbook designed for the desktop version of Microsoft Excel 365 for Windows 10/11.
- Save the ISK v3 workbook and supporting files in a local folder on the user’s computer.
- Open the macro-enabled workbook in desktop Microsoft Excel 365 for Windows 10/11.
- Enable Editing and then Enable Macros if prompted by Excel security settings.
- Keep the User Guide and Help files in the same local folder so that ISK v3 can open them correctly.
Important operating requirements
ISK v3 will not run in Excel for Mac, Excel for the web, OneDrive, SharePoint, Teams, Google Drive, Dropbox or any other cloud-based or browser-based spreadsheet environment.
Other workbooks should not be opened within the same Excel instance in which ISK v3 is running. If another workbook needs to be used while ISK v3 is open, it should be opened in a separate Excel instance or through the Open Excel command provided in ISK v3.
Upon opening, ISK v3 performs a preliminary compatibility check for the Excel version and operating environment.
Use, intellectual property and interpretation of outputs
The ISK methodologies, scientific frameworks, scoring systems, algorithms, software architecture, source code, object code, graphical interfaces, databases, updates, enhancements, modifications, derivative works and related present or future developments constitute the exclusive intellectual property of L. Vilizzi.
The ISK v3 software is made available for scientific, institutional and non-commercial use. Such use does not include commercialisation, sublicensing, transfer to unauthorised third parties, reverse engineering, modification by external developers, or the creation of derivative software without prior written consent.
ISK v3 complies with the minimum standards for the assessment of non-native species under EC Regulation No. 1143/2014 on the prevention and management of the introduction and spread of invasive alien species. Outputs should be interpreted by suitably qualified assessors in relation to the evidence base, the selected risk assessment area and the assumptions used in each screening.
