Source databases
The data in current edition of the Catalogue of Life have been provided by 173 resources. Most datasets include one or more global species database sectors (GSDs), i.e. datasets being developed to cover all of the world's species in a particular group of organisms. Several datasets provide regional information for groups not yet covered globally. The datasets result from collaboration and editing by many expert taxonomists, whose names are found in the datasets themselves. A brief summary is listed below giving: database name; home page address; the author(s) or editor(s); host organisation; the group for which data are provided, preceded by its higher classification; and the number of species and infraspecific taxa included in this checklist.
Database Qualifiers
In the Catalogue of Life we introduce "Database Qualifiers" which shown in the interface. Qualifiers give users a quick guide to the reliability of presented data. Qualifiers have been given by authors/editors of each database and appear on the Database Details page, and alongside, with the database name on each Species Details page. Qualifiers reflect data reliability in the Catalogue of Life only, and are not applicable to the original view of the database through its own website. Qualifiers include:
• Taxonomic Completeness (values 1 - 100%)
• Checklist Confidence (values
—, see below for details)
- Caution! This data set does not contain well-scrutinised taxonomic checklist, and in parts may be a list of taxonomically unvetted names only. However, it is used temporarily by the Catalogue of Life to fill major gaps as only available source at the time. See database abstract for more details. - Caution! This data set is a scrutinised taxonomic checklist, but it is incomplete and at an early stage of its development. See database abstract for more details. - This is a well-scrutinised taxonomic checklist, but it is restricted to a subset of species by geography (regional database), or sector of biological discipline (e.g. thematic database in particular ecological area, conservation, quarantine, pest and disease control, medicine or molecular biology, etc). This data set was included in the Catalogue of Life to fill gaps at lower levels of the taxonomic classification (e.g. species, genera) as temporarily solution. See database abstract for more details. - This is a nearly complete and fully scrutinised taxonomic checklist with a good quality of expertise at the current stage of its development. - This is a complete and fully scrutinised taxonomic checklist for an entire taxon with a high quality of expertise and frequent updates, which covers nearly all known species diversity in the taxon worldwide.
.gif "GloBIS (GART)")
.gif "ETI WBD (Euphausiacea)")
