ABSTRACT

The way taxonomic information is created, tested, accessed, thought about and used is changing dramatically with the application of information and communications technologies (ICTs). This cyber-enabled taxonomy is not only changing the efficiency and work practices of taxonomists, but also changing ways of disseminating taxonomic data, and, arguably, the very nature of taxonomic knowledge. In this chapter I examine some of the major outputs of taxonomic research; how ICTs are affecting their production, dissemination and reuse; and common impediments to further progress, including a lack of incentives to build, sustain and populate appropriate infrastructures.

Introduction

Biological taxonomy and systematics is one of the oldest scientific disciplines. It aims to explore, discover, characterize, name and classify species; to study their evolutionary relationships; and to map their geographic distributions and ecological associations. Taxonomy draws on information from many disciplines in order to build a coherent picture of the extent and trajectory of life on earth. This is currently enshrined in an estimated 5.4 million volumes (circa 800,000 monographs and 40,000 journal titles) published on natural history since 1469.

Cybertaxonomy is a contraction of ‘cyber-enabled taxonomy’ and involves the application of information and communications technologies (ICTs) to taxonomy. It shares the traditional goals of taxonomy but uses non-traditional hardware, software, instrumentation, communication tools and work practices, bringing information science and technologies to bear on the data and information generated by the study of organisms, their genes and their interactions.

In this short review I highlight areas where cybertaxonomy is transforming taxonomic practice, particularly in the collection, management, synthesis and dissemination of taxonomic works. This transformation has the potential to provide unprecedented global access to information on biological species and their role in nature. The full realization of this potential requires a number of further technical advances, where progress is being made; but also cultural change, where progress may be harder to achieve.

Taxonomic names and checklists

The names by which organisms are known are the basis for communication about them. Almost all information relating to organisms is given context by scientific names. When due allowance is made for problems such as homonymy, synonymy, orthographic variation and the dynamic relationships of names (as text character strings) and concepts (sets of organisms represented by names), names offer a nearcomprehensive system of metadata by which to index and organize biodiversity information.