standards across taxa

[Gail E. Kampmeier]

Please excuse any naivete on my part, but I would like to know what
resources/standards are being used by various taxonomic groups in their
databases and are there commonalities that are used by everyone.  I know
that there is an international code for Botany, one for Zoology...

Entomological and spider collections use 4-letter codens for the
museum/collection names.  These have been published and are available
on-line through the Bishop Museum site.  What about other taxa?

Taxonomic authorities, collectors, authors...are there authority file that
give correct spellings, published variations, activity dates (or
birth/death dates), etc. for those people working with various taxa?  I
think the botanists have this, although I do not know how complete it
is...I have not heard of it for entomology...other taxa?

Biogeographical regions--is there any agreement on this?  I realize that
political lines do not necessarily delineate where tectonic plates may have
shifted throughout time, but what views are accepted by various taxa? or
does this even fall on taxonomic lines?

Are there standards/resources that you wish were available across taxa?  Do
you have cool resources that you think are uniquely available to your taxa
that might be useful to others?

Thanks for your input!
Gail

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Gail E. Kampmeier, Research Entomologist, Illinois Natural History Survey,
Box 5 NSRL-EASB, MC-637, 1101 W. Peabody, Urbana, IL 61801 USA
ph. 217-333-2824; fax 217-333-6784; email: gkamp at uiuc.edu
http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/cee/therevid/
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