Taxonomy and the Production of Semantic Phenotypes

Matthew J. Yoder, Michael B. Twidale, Andrea K. Thomer, Lars Vogt, Nico M. Franz, Jinlong Guo, Andrew R. Deans, James P. Balhoff

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapter

Abstract

Taxonomists produce a myriad of phenotypic descriptions. Traditionally these are provided in terse (telegraphic) natural language. As seen in parallel within other fields of biology researchers are exploring ways to formalize parts of the taxonomic process so that aspects of it are more computational in nature. The currently used data formalizations, mechanisms for persisting data, applications, and computing approaches related to the production of semantic descriptions (phenotypes) are reviewed, they, and their adopters are limited in number. In order to move forward we step back and characterize taxonomists with respect to their typical workflow and tendencies. We then use these characteristics as a basis for exploring how we might create software that taxonomists will find intuitive within their current workflows, providing interface examples as thought experiments.
Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationApplication of Semantic Technology in Biodiversity Science
EditorsAnne E Thessen
PublisherIOS Press
Chapter4
Pages53-77
Number of pages25
Volume33
ISBN (Electronic)9781614998549
ISBN (Print)9781614998532
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 2 2018

Publication series

NameStudies on the Semantic Web
Volume33

Keywords

  • INHS

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Computer Science

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