[Taxacom] Vital study of an organism on planet Earth

[Barry Roth]

Fully agree with Geoff on this, and the sinister subtext is that taxon-driven research programmes are somehow inferior, not-to-be-named. 

On Jun 16, 2012, at 5:56 PM, "Geoff Read" <gread at actrix.gen.nz> wrote:

> Thanks Michael,
> 
> 
> Oh the folly of it. Why is this irritating vagueness done? My theory is
> that it's a misguided attempt to make the research seem so transcending in
> results and importance that the actual taxa don't matter.  Well they do -
> every time. This work, poorly keyworded, would not have been easily found
> by the few people it's most relevant to - the bryozoologists (except
> Stephen has now helped them out).
> 
> In your example there is a natural point in the abstract flow where the
> family could be revealed. It isn't. Grrrh!
> 
> Geoff
> 
> 
> On Sat, June 16, 2012 7:18 pm, Michael Heads wrote:
>> Hi Geoff,
>> 
>> I had to laugh when I saw your link. Here's another one:
>> http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v438/n7065/abs/nature04057.html
>> 
>> It's quite a common style now, but really annoying. Pierre Jolivet was
>> complaining about it a while ago. Editors tell you not to mention the name
>> of an organsm in the title - apparently it isn't good for sales. So if you
>> don't mention it in the abstract, that makes it even better...
>> 
>> Michael Heads
>> On Sat, Jun 16, 2012 at 4:21 PM, Geoff Read <gread at actrix.gen.nz> wrote:
>> 
>>> 
>>> Sorry, the title, abstract and even the keywords won't give away what
>>> it's
>>> about. But if you have access and you go to page 2 at the bottom we
>>> promise that there will be a taxon name mentioned, and you then can
>>> decide
>>> whether you are further interested.  And living things all really work
>>> the
>>> same way, don't they, same basic principles, so it's not as if doing
>>> that
>>> will waste anyone's time.
>>> 
>>> http://dx.doi.org/10.1890/11-1448.1
>>> 
>>> We hope this style catches on.
>>> 
>>> Sincerely,
>>> 
>>> The authors
> 
> 
> 
> 
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