[Zoobank-list] Mandatory? What database?

[Fabio Moretzsohn]

Dear zoologists

I just signed up for this list and haven't yet read all of the archives, but I have been following with interest the issue of registration and taxonomic databases for years. And Rich Pyle suggested that I write in regards to Doug's recent message.

I like the idea of mandatory registration of zoological names prior to a manuscript being accepted, like the current practice in molecular journals and GenBank. As far as the exact model for zoological names, we could learn from the existing models and improve upon, if needed. I also like Rich's idea of an email notification system to notify when papers in a certain group are published.

I agree that we should not wait many years until the new Code is published, but rather start with voluntary registration and encourage practicing taxonomists and journals that publish zoological taxonomy (even if only occasionally) to encourage or require (after the 5th edition of the Code is published) registration as part of the acceptance of manuscripts containing new zoological names.

In the meantime, we could have an online poll about registration, as Doug suggested, basically with three options: a) I support a system of registration; b) I am against registration, and c) I propose an alternative system: ______.  (The actual wording should be carefully crafted)

In order to include in the poll only practicing taxonomists, I can think of two alternatives (there may be many others): 1) go through the Zoological Record and look for authors of taxonomic papers in the last 10 years (20? more? less?) and invite the authors via email to participate in the poll; 2) start a register of practicing taxonomists--to sign up for this list/register, one needs to provide evidence that he/she is a practicing taxonomist by giving at least one reference to a published paper or evidence that they are working on a taxonomic manuscript, review, dissertation, etc. But then there might be a problem with what constitutes "publication" (e.g. peer-reviewed, non-peer-reviewed, self-published, etc)--or follow the criteria outlined in the Code regarding publication. 

Alternatively, we could collect signatures of taxonomists that support registration, like the recent petition against Intelligent Design, to show that we already have good support for registration.

Fabio

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Fabio Moretzsohn, Ph.D.
Post Doctoral Research Associate
Harte Research Institute
Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi
6300 Ocean Drive, NRC 3208
Corpus Christi, TX 78412-5866
Phone: (361) 825-3230
Fax: (361) 825-2770
fabio at falcon.tamucc.edu
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