Wish list for name matching services

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Terminology

  • candidates are returned partial matches, as opposed to exact matches
  • canonical name
  • asynchronous output

General

Input

  • Allow input of a pasted column of names
  • Allow upload of a table with names (dialogue: name bearing column[s])
  • Allow upload of any other column

Interactive mode

Output

  • Avoid returning absurd candidates (names that are completely improbable)
  • In asynchronous mode, return matched records and candidates in a single table
  • If the name is entered as a string, parse the name and match the name components independently.
  • Allow wildcards
  • Allow input of name components in separate fields (at least in uploads):
    • For ICNAFP: Monomial / genus component; infrageneric rank; infrageneric epithet; species epithet; infraspecific rank; infraspecific epithet; basionym author (team); combination author (team); year of publication.
    • For ICZN: work in progress.
  • Exactly match the rank of the name, if unambiguous in the input – i.e. do not return a subspecies for a variety, a genus name for a family, etc.

Parameters for exact matches

  • optional (ICNAFP): accept IPNI, Tropicos and full spaced author abbreviations as exact matches
  • optional (ICNAFP): ignore ex authors (the author or team preceeding the ex)
  • optional (ICNAFP): ignore hybrid symbol (or “x” space/space “x” space) in name
  • optional (ICNAFP): ignore authors in autonyms
  • optional: ignore endings in epithets (ICNAFP) / (species/subspecies name (ICZN)

For candidate matches

  • exactly match the rank of the name, if unambiguous in the input
  • weigh probabilities hierchically:
    • e.g., in a species name, a full or near full match on a genus name is more important than that of the species epithet (epithets may be used in many genera).