M5.11 - Review existing key construction software and workflow interaction with both Scratchpads and the CDM

Submitted by Scratchpad Team on Tue, 11/01/2011 - 14:17

Identification of specimens and observations is a crucial task . Today
methods are based on molecular sequences (barcoding), image or sonogram
analysis, morphometry, or morphological data. For this last type of data, which
is also the most often available information, we use identification keys. Since
the first printed key published by Lamark (Flore Francoise 1778) taxonomists
have developed various forms of « identification keys » :
single-access, free-access and multi-entry keys (Hagedorn, 2010).

In this document we make a short review of existing key construction software for these three
types of keys, and then we describe the architecture and workflow to offer such
webservices linked to Scratchpads and the CDM.