TY - JOUR
AU - Wheeler, Quentin D.
AB - Letters W ally tested. That is most efficiently done ment, observatory, and research envi- HAT IF GBIF? ames Edwards makes a credible, con- through revisions, monographs, floras, ronment for taxonomy (www.flmnh.ufl. Jvincing argument for digitization of and faunas. A suite of activities is crucial edu/LINNE/)—driven by scientific ques- museum data in “Research and Societal to the future of taxonomy: field inven- tions, built on the strengths of museums Benefits of the Global Biodiversity tories, revisions and monographs, and and digital connectivity. The big ques- Information Facility” (BioScience 54: an array of data digitization. Digitization tions of taxonomy are essential to the 485–486). I agree with most of his points, is urgently needed for museum data, advancement of science and human except the characterization of a recent specimen images, and descriptive liter- welfare, and they are unanswered. GBIF essay by Raven, Wilson, and me (2004) as ature. New digital tools for morphol- and other digital initiatives have paved representing the view of digitization ogy and publication are essential. An the way for this brave new vision of tax- “doubters.” None of us doubts the es- international paradigm, following the onomy, but they will ultimately succeed sential role of digitizing data; 
TI - What if GBIF?
JF - BioScience
DO - 10.1641/0006-3568(2004)054[0718:WIG]2.0.CO;2
DA - 2004-08-01
UR - https://www.deepdyve.com/lp/oxford-university-press/what-if-gbif-AhyoMMMOL2
SP - 717
EP - 717
VL - 54
IS - 8
DP - DeepDyve
ER -