[Taxacom] Survey Results: Dealing with Sensitive Species Occurrence Data

[Doug Yanega]

>If anyone out there does have some ideas on how to do what Anita 
>asks, then please discuss them here and we will add them to the 
>final reports.

For many years, I have advocated a non-profit professional Society 
for taxonomists (one that does NOT require dues). Criteria for 
membership should be simple but explicit, such as signing off on a 
formal agreement that includes clauses to the effect of (1) their 
research is non-commercial (2) their research will be published 
exclusively in peer-reviewed journals that the entire Society has 
formally approved as publication venues (3) all of their work is 
ICxN-compliant, including deposition of type material, and (4) 
violation of conditions 1, 2, or 3 after signing would be grounds for 
expulsion. Such criteria would allow for all those "honorable 
amateurs" to be part of the Society, though it would ironically 
exclude a number of active professionals, whose work does not comply 
with points 2 and/or 3.

Ultimately, the idea would be that membership in the Society would 
confer certain privileges and priorities, and access to sensitive 
species data could be one such privilege (among many). If doctors and 
lawyers can set professional standards, so can we.

Sincerely,
-- 

Doug Yanega        /Dept. of Entomology         /Entomology Research Museum
Univ. of California - Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521-0314
phone: (951) 827-4315 (standard disclaimer: opinions are mine, not UCR's)
              http://cache.ucr.edu/~heraty/yanega.html
   "There are some enterprises in which a careful disorderliness
         is the true method" - Herman Melville, Moby Dick, Chap. 82