Taxacom: Clarification RE e-publication (zoology) - new name has ZooBank LSID (or doesn't), publication does not

[Thomas Pape]

Dear Tony,

Your comments are much appreciated. The more feedback the Commission gets about issues of confusion, misunderstandings and apparent lack of logic relating to the specific requirements for availability of e-publications, the easier for us to draft a more simple, efficient and user-friendly next edition of the Code.

Our Constitution does not allow for 'quick' updates to the legislative text, as any proposal of a major change requires that the Commission shall "receive and consider comments from zoologists that are received within twelve months of the publication of the proposals".

This does not mean that we are reluctant to suggest changes, but that we want to propose comprehensive new versions -- which is what we are working on right now.

As you correctly mention, the Commission had extensive discussions about how to allow for e-publications to be published for the purposes of zoological nomenclature and as such to contain available names and nomenclatural acts.
Considering the situation, I think we came out reasonably well. Nobody expected a fully seamless transition, and a lot more could have gone wrong. It is now time to build on our experiences and learn from feedback like yours.

Incidentally, I remember that there was a substantial resistance against registration of names back in 2016 when I took office in the ICZN. Today the situation is much different, and in particular the young taxonomists (at least those I meet) often express surprise that registration has not been implemented already.

We will most likely see more of the requirements for Code compliance to reside with an Official Registry of Zoological Nomenclature (currently ZooBank). The current situation with details of Code compliance being split between the work and the Registry is not an ideal situation. But as always for complex legislation, 'the devil is in the detail' -- and adding to that, an Official Registry requires more resources, as databases are never maintenance-free.

You are probably right, that asking ten taxonomists about the requirements for e-publication would result in a majority that could not explain it correctly.
My vision is that these taxonomists should not need to go to such excesses. If we can build (and make sustainable) an efficient Registry, the taxonomist would be guided through most or even all of the nomenclatural workflow.

/Thomas

-----Original Message-----
From: Taxacom <taxacom-bounces at lists.ku.edu> On Behalf Of Tony Rees via Taxacom
Sent: 26. marts 2023 19:24
To: Stephen Thorpe <stephen_thorpe at yahoo.co.nz>
Cc: taxacom <taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu>
Subject: Re: Taxacom: Clarification RE e-publication (zoology) - new name has ZooBank LSID (or doesn't), publication does not

The problem for me is that the e-publish requirements for availability, to a new user, do not really appear logical at first encounter. In other
words: to be available prior to print publication, the name needs to be accompanied (in its e-published form) by its registered ZooBank LSID.
Except that it doesn't (that is in fact not a requirement). Also, the work needs to be accompanied  (in its e-published form) by its registered ZooBank LSID. Except that it doesn't (again, not a requirement: this can be inferred, and the work may be invisible via the ZooBank interface anyway, except to the person/s who entered it). Hence the confusion, for me, and possibly others.

I'm sure there are good reasons for the above which were debated exhaustively prior to deciding on the form of the system and the wording to be incorporated in the Code, however that does not make the result any more clear to the novice, or even semi experienced user. I think if you were to ask ten taxonomists, or users of taxonomic data, to explain their understanding of the requirements for e-publication without (or even with) reference to the Code, you would find a majority that could not explain it correctly. Or maybe I am in a minority of 1 here.

If I am barking up the wrong tree here, please feel free to ignore this comment!

Regards - Tony
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