[Taxacom] What can Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) do for you?

[Stephen Thorpe]

It is the classic dilemma between quantity and quality. For GBIF to be as comprehensive as it wants to be, it has no choice but to harvest and process data automatically, but this creates messes which can only be detected and fixed by humans (more or less "expert" humans, at that). The only answer that I can see is a suitable error feedback/correction system, but this is linked to two issues: (1) incentives/credit for feedback; and (2) archived web page histories which can be recalled by stable URLs (as per the Wikimedia sites). The latter is important in part because if GBIF pages are to be cited, then the actual archived e-document (i.e. the web page as cited) must be able to be recalled. Otherwise, citation makes no sense if nobody can see what was actually cited.
 
Stephen

From: "Tony.Rees at csiro.au" <Tony.Rees at csiro.au>
To: kinman at hotmail.com; mary.barkworth at usu.edu; taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu 
Sent: Monday, 21 October 2013 4:26 PM
Subject: Re: [Taxacom] What can Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) do for you?


Hi Ken and Mary, also Rod (and all),

Agreed, there are issues with the GBIF backbone taxonomy - to do with the method of its creation ("semi-automated" and rebuilt from scratch from incoming taxonomic resources more or less annually I believe), the level of resourcing devoted to its scrutiny (perhaps) and the lack of a facility for users to engage in spotting issues or reporting errors. Also there is the question of whether GBIF should need to engage in this activity or whether it can be outsourced to more taxonomically authoritative providers (I suspect not, at the present time at least, to cover the "whole of life" which is GBIF's remit). Some of these are big questions especially to do with resourcing and method of construction; I guess Rod in his new role is in a position to investigate further with relevant persons and report back...

Regards - Tony


> -----Original Message-----
> From: taxacom-bounces at mailman.nhm.ku.edu [mailto:taxacom-
> bounces at mailman.nhm.ku.edu] On Behalf Of Ken Kinman
> Sent: Monday, 21 October 2013 2:05 PM
> To: Mary Barkworth; taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu
> Subject: Re: [Taxacom] What can Global Biodiversity Information
> Facility (GBIF) do for you?
> 
> Hi Mary,
> 
> 
> 
>      I agree with that minor point.  Alismaceae is an incorrect
> spelling (by someone who didn't know proper Latin).  But the major
> point is that it certainly is not incertae sedis, and it should be
> listed under Alismataceae by GBIF (not incertae sedis).  Incertae sedis
> should be reserved for taxa which are truly of uncertain placement----
> not a dumping ground for names like Alismaceae.  I'm a zoologist, not a
> botanist, and even I spotted that one immediately.
> 
> 
> 
>                -------------------Ken
> 
> 
> 
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
> ------------------------
> 
> 
> 
> > From: Mary.Barkworth at usu.edu
> > To: taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu
> > CC: taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu
> > Date: Mon, 21 Oct 2013 01:44:57 +0000
> > Subject: Re: [Taxacom] What can Global Biodiversity Information
> Facility (GBIF) do for you?
> >
> > Minor point but Alismaceae is not an alternative spelling in the
> sense that Poaceae and Gramineae are alternatives. It is an incorrect
> spelling. For convenience it could be treated as a synonym - just to
> take care of the records that use it - but it is simply a mispelling.
> > Mary
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The Taxacom Archive back to 1992 may be searched with either of these methods:

(1) by visiting http://taxacom.markmail.org/

(2) a Google search specified as:  site:mailman.nhm.ku.edu/pipermail/taxacom  your search terms here

Celebrating 26 years of Taxacom in 2013.