[Zoobank-list] Registration and quality control; approved journals

[Frank Krell]

Rich wrote: Technically, we are still in those times right now.  There is nothing in the Code that prevents me from writing a three-line description, and self-publishing it in full accordance with the code.  The reason I don't, and the reason that other taxonomists don't (in significant numbers), is that their scientific reputations are at stake.  As they still would be in Scenario 2. But with registration, the track record of every taxonomist is right there for the world to see, so the incentive to do quality work is even higher.

Yes, but (scientifically) insufficient descriptions are not the norm. With "registration of the the minimum description required = availability" sanctioned by the ICZN, this is the norm and publishing a proper paper is sort of a luxury for the dwindling number of professional who need to have a nice CV. Not all new species are described primarily because the author want to produce a high quality scientific paper. There are other incentives (commercial, personal pround, etc.), and not bothering with a paper description and still having something produced that is officially valid and has to be recognized by the community is a very attractive quality of szenario 2 for those people. 
Producing a crap paper as a self-published pamphlet needs still the recognition of the scientific community.
Oh, yes, we DO neglect valid papers (even if we formally cannot, but taxonomy is a science, not a formal procedure). This is the only strategy we have against inappropriate papers until somebody has the time to deal with them formally.
 
Rich wrote: Why do you belive this?  What is stopping people from inappropriately describing species names right now?  It's really easy to do, and remain within the current Code. Why does having a a system that allows the whole world to see all of the inappropriate names a person registers offer *more* incentive to create such inappropriate names?

Because they are officially validated by the ICZN without even going to the photocopy machine. They get a higher status and recornition instantly than they would ever get through a privately published pamphlet. There is some psychological aspect in here we have to consider.

Cheers
 
Frank
Dr Frank-T. Krell
Head, Coleoptera Division
Head, Scarab Research Group
Editor, Systematic Entomology
Department of Entomology
The Natural History Museum
Cromwell Road
London SW7 5BD, U.K.
Tel. +44 (0) 20 7942 5886
Fax +44 (0) 20 7942 5229
f.krell at nhm.ac.uk

 
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