[Taxacom] Article 16.2 of the ICZN

[Stephen Thorpe]

The really worrying thing is this: nomenclatural errors are relatively easy to spot, if you know the Code sufficiently well. My worry is that authors who are "sloppy" with nomenclature might be equally sloppy in other areas that are more difficult to spot, unless you happen to have access (and time) to specimens to check that they actually have the characters ascribed to them in the description! I can think of at least one case where I was in a position to check this, and the result wasn't too good! I guess my view is: give me confidence in your work by getting the nomenclature right!

________________________________________
From: Dick Jensen [rjensen at saintmarys.edu]
Sent: Thursday, 26 November 2009 11:00 a.m.
To: mivie at montana.edu
Cc: Stephen Thorpe; 'TAXACOM'
Subject: Re: [Taxacom] Article 16.2 of the ICZN

Mike Ivie wrote: "...some are just perpetual screwups who don't care, but those are never going to be fixed."

I wonder - do these same "screwups" write sloppy and inaccurate Methods/Materials for the papers they publish?  If reviewers can take the time to make sure that the M/M sections are properly presented, then they could also take time to make sure that nomenclatural matters are handled properly.

I agree that it is the responsibility of the author to do it right, but in our peer-review system, reviewers are supposed to prevent poor science, poor methods, and poor nomenclature being published.  As a reviewer, I expect authors to use the code properly and, if I am not sure, I will consult someone who knows the code better than I and pass the response on to the author, who now becomes responsible for making whatever changes are warranted.  But, the final decision rests with the editor, right?  If an editor accepts sloppy work, then the editor is the one to blame when it is published.

Further, why should following the code be voluntary?  That defeats the purpose of having a code in the first place.  Do editors make other aspects of manuscript preparation voluntary?  None that I have ever worked with do.

Dick J

Richard Jensen, Professor
Department of Biology
Saint Mary's College
Notre Dame, IN 46556

tel: 574-284-4674