Download - Whatever happened to CATE?
Whatever happened to CATE?
Anna Haigh Ben Clark
In briefWhat we learned from CATE:
• The difference between eTaxonomy and Taxonomy (and why that is important)
• Figuring out what to do on the web (and why that is hard)
• Pitfalls for the unwary (don’t repeat our mistakes)
So what is e-Taxonomy?“We have no doubt that the Internet will play a crucial role in the evolution of taxonomy . . .” House of Lords Select Committee on Science and
Technology, 2008
“The role of taxonomy as an information science will increase greatly, most likely as a primarily web-based science” Taxonomy in
Europe in the 21st Century (Report prepared for the board of directors of EDIT)
“Imagine an electronic page for each species of organism on Earth . . .” Edward O. Wilson
Its easy, right?Defining the problem that we’re trying to solve is important
“If you build it, they will come” is a fallacy
“If you build it, will they come?”
Defining the problemUntil recently publishing looked like this:
• Setup costs are large
• Small runs are expensive
• Errors can’t be corrected
• Quality control is paramount
• Experts are required
The internetThe web solves this:
• Setup costs are (quite) small
•Distribution is (nearly) free
• Re-publication is trivial
• Collaboration is easy
• “Many eyes make all errors shallow”
So what is e-Taxonomy?e-Taxonomy is part of a more general “Participation – Collaboration” pattern
• The starting point is the first revision
• The intent is that the revision should be complete and accurate
• This requires ongoing effort
• Collaboration with your users is an option which we explored
Photo: Peter Boyce
Given that definitionSuccess would be a web revision which:
• Provides an up-to-date classification of the Aroids
• Is a useful reference for people who want to know about the Araceae
• Sustains itself by attracting users who help to maintain it
Photo: Peter Boyce
What should we do?• Talk to stakeholders
• Our “committee of experts” gave the project credibility
• They did not generally use the site themselves
Our Other Users
Participation• 6,000 different people visit CATE Araceae
•1,500 have visited 50+ times
•100 have registered
• Only three have made edits to CATE
• The 90-9-1 rule of online engagement
GregSent: Thursday, September 09, 2010 5:50 AMTo: [email protected], I have joined the site and was wondering what I can do to help? Cheers,Greg RuckertNairne,South Australia
Taking it further
Taking it further
Taking it further
What happened to CATE?•Getting taxonomic content online is important
• Sustaining a taxonomic resource is just as hard
• Sustainability means distributing effort across people
• People need curation, just like content does