This is very important, beyond nomenclature, and I encourage you to consider and comment on it. Please pass this on as appropriate.
You will probably see this from a couple sources, so sorry for cross posting. Kip ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Doug Yanega <dyan...@ucr.edu> Date: Tue, Jan 7, 2014 at 10:35 AM Subject: Call for Comments: Taxonomic Practice and the Code To: ec...@listserv.unl.edu Dear All: I and fellow ICZN Commissioner Mark Harvey have just published a brief note, titled as in the subject header, in the Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature. The online version is available at *http://iczn.org/node/40405 <http://iczn.org/node/40405>* I feel it is arguably the most important such solicitation in the history of the ICZN, as it could potentially affect one of the most fundamental principles of the Code; namely, that the Code and Commission remain neutral regarding violations of standards of taxonomic practice and ethics. As such, I wish to draw people's attention to it, and take this opportunity to emphasize several things: (1) For everyone reading this, YOUR participation is crucial, whether you are a practicing taxonomist or not, because everyone who studies living organisms is affected by controversies surrounding the correct names to be used for those organisms. This is far too important an issue to allow a tiny handful of people to have undue influence over the course of the discussion, and the future of taxonomy. The Commission is not likely to undertake fundamental changes in the Code unless there is a CLEAR MAJORITY in terms of public opinion. As such, I am hoping to have hundreds, if not thousands, of responses submitted in response to this solicitation, so we on the Commission have a truly significant sample size to work with. I therefore encourage everyone reading this to forward this message (in its entirety) to all of their colleagues. (2) PLEASE do not respond to this solicitation here, in this newsgroup. *Instructions for submitting comments can be found at http://iczn.org/content/instructions-comments <http://iczn.org/content/instructions-comments>* (and also see additional important details in the solicitation itself). This is NOT a call for a public debate - I would even prefer to receive personal e-mail requests for clarification, however numerous, rather than have this turn into a public free-for-all, because it is a very contentious subject. (3) PLEASE read the solicitation carefully. We tried to make it concise, and explicit. I wish to emphasize that the question at hand is a GENERAL one, regarding the *role of standards and ethics in the practice of taxonomy and nomenclature*. I will quote the pertinent passage, in order to reinforce the idea: "We must stress that this is a very broad issue, which manifests in many ways, affects many disciplines, and has occurred throughout the history of taxonomy. We also recognize that the most prominent and timely concerns relate to issues such as plagiarism, falsification of data, criminal activities, and practices that subvert or circumvent the process of peer review (which is considered an essential element of all scientific practice, taxonomy included). This is, emphatically, not a referendum on professionals versus amateurs (or other cultural stereotypes), nor a referendum on the merits (or lack thereof) of peer review. Basically, what we seek to know is whether the taxonomic community wants to continue dealing with these issues at their own discretion, or whether they want the Commission to be empowered to do so (or something in between); we will not do so on our own initiative." (4) For those of you seeking a "nutshell version" of what the heart of the controversy is that triggered this solicitation in the first place, I can offer the following: "Are there, or are there not, circumstances - when the opinion of the community is that a work has been produced in a manner incompatible with standards of taxonomic practice and ethics - where names or nomenclatural acts in a work should be treated *as if they had never been published*?". Note, however, that this is not the only possible approach! If you have a clear opinion on this, or alternatives, then please communicate your thoughts to the Commission for consideration. Sincerely, -- Doug Yanega Dept. of Entomology Entomology Research Museum Univ. of California, Riverside, CA 92521-0314 skype: dyanega phone: (951) 827-4315 (disclaimer: opinions are mine, not UCR's) http://cache.ucr.edu/~heraty/yanega.html "There are some enterprises in which a careful disorderliness is the true method" - Herman Melville, Moby Dick, Chap. 82 -- -- Contact info: Kipling W. Will Associate Professor/Insect Systematist Director, Essig Museum of Entomology send specimens to: Essig Museum of Entomology 1101 Valley Life Sciences Building, #4780 University of California, Berkeley Berkeley, CA 94720-4780 letter mail to: 130 Mulford Hall ESPM Dept.- Organisms & Environment Div. University of California Berkeley, California 94720 fax 510-643-5438
