Measuring the Quality of Species List Contents
Abstract Taxonomic lists, usually of species, have many functions. However, there is currently no reliable and convenient way to determine whether a list contains the information that a user requires other than by reading the list in detail. We therefore developed 24 indicators to characterise list contents. The indicators aim to describe the extent to which the scored list covers their intended class of organisms, the quality of their taxonomic scholarship, and additional information they provide for each taxon. We tested the indicators on 16 lists drawn from a wide range of vertebrates, invertebrates, and plants. A list content score was derived from individual indicator scores after they had been weighted to reflect the preferences that taxonomists had expressed in a global survey. The indicators aim to help list creators provide the details taxonomists and list users consider important. We expect indicators to be refined after public debate..
Authors
- Ronell R. Klopper (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0948-5038)
- Aaron M. Lien (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5131-688X)
- Patrice Bouchard (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7443-4547)
- Peter Paul van Dijk (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7283-7000)
- Scott L. Thomson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4612-0799)
- Alex J. Berryman (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1273-7184)
- L. Vandepitte (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8160-7941)
- Stephen Thomas Garnett (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0724-7060)
- John S. Buckeridge (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6510-5629)
- Stijn Conix (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1487-0213)
- Craig Hilton‐Taylor (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1163-1425)
- Donald Hobern (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6492-4016)
- Neal L. Evenhuis
- Th. Pape
- Les L. Christidis
- Saroj Kanta Barik
- Lauren Raz
- Markus Döring
- Olaf Bánki
- Haylee Crawford-Weaver
- Claire Johnston
- Andreas Kroh
- Marianne Le Roux
- Richard L Pyle
- Frank E Zachos
- María Marta Cigliano
Institutions
- Global Biodiversity Information Facility (DK)
- University of Copenhagen (DK)
- Natural History Museum Vienna (AT)
- Flanders Marine Institute (BE)
- University of Vienna (AT)
- Bernice P. Bishop Museum (US)
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (CA)
- University of Arizona (US)
- Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (BR)
- North Eastern Hill University (IN)
- University of Johannesburg (ZA)
- University of the Free State (ZA)
- BirdLife International (KE)
- Charles Darwin University (AU)
- Universidad Nacional de Colombia (CO)
- South African National Biodiversity Institute (ZA)
- MIT University (MK)
- International Union for Conservation of Nature (United Kingdom) (GB)
- Natural History Museum Aarhus (DK)
- National Biodiversity Institute (CR)
- Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (AU)
- Wildlife Information Liaison Development (IN)
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (ES)
- Conservation Leadership Programme (GB)
- BirdLife international (GB)
- Lifeline Hospital (IN)
- Southern Cross University (AU)
- University of Pretoria (ZA)
- Universidad Nacional de La Plata (AR)
- UCLouvain (BE)
Publication Details
- Journal
- BioScience
- Published
- 2026-01-05
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biaf191
- Primary Topic
- Animal and Plant Science Education
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00