taXMLit: a vital piece of the puzzle for digitally interoperable taxonomy
Weitzman, A. L. 1 & Lyal, C. H. C.2
1The National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC, USA, weitzman@si.edu
2The Natural History Museum, Department of Entomology, London SW7 5BD, UK, c.lyal@nhm.ac.ukA major problem for access to biodiversity information is the multiplicity of forms and places where it is stored. While data standards for storage and exchange of taxonomic names and specimen data are being developed, literature is still generally not accessible electronically or, if it is, the format is not one that enables interoperability with other data types. For taxonomic descriptions, identification aids, and other data, this is a particular problem, and in many parts of the world taxonomic work is hindered through lack of access to the literature. We offer a potential standard appropriate for all taxonomic literature, taXMLit that will enable interoperability with specimen databases, taxonomic authority files, and other datasets. In addition to integrating literature and other data sources, the schema opens possibilities of generating new tailored web products including relevant taxonomic information taken from different publications and other sources, and a way of speeding taxonomic publication. The first testbed for taXMLit is the Biologia Centrali-America Centennial (BCAC) project, which will make available all 58 biological volumes of that work as well as modern treatments of selected taxa included in the original, and linking them all to other appropriate electronic data.