This document discusses identification keys and their role on the Encyclopedia of Life (EOL) website. It outlines several options for including keys, such as linking to existing keys from other sources, partnering with key-building resources to automatically add new keys, and building matrix-based interactive keys using online tools. The document acknowledges challenges to creating comprehensive and up-to-date keys, but emphasizes that new technologies have made building and sharing keys easier than ever before. It encourages sharing experiences with key-building tools and providing input to help improve EOL's identification key resources.

1. Identification Keys and EOL
Leo Shapiro
Species Pages Group, Rapid Response
lshapiro@eol.org

2. Identification Keys and EOL
• Potential for ID resources on EOL
• Initiate some discussion re. what role you see for
keys on EOL and how you think they might best be
implemented

4. Identification Keys, EOL, and You
For keys from other sources, you could make
an “Identification Resources” subchapter on
your LifeDesk where you could add links to
keys or other resouces

5. Identification Keys, EOL, and You
Ideally, help EOL establish a partnership with
your preferred key-building resource so that
links to new keys could be made automatically
for all taxa for which the new key is relevant

6. Identification Keys: The Dream
A website that has easily accessible, easy-to-use,
very flexible, well illustrated, highly authoritative,
and ultra-up-to-date identification keys to all
organisms from all parts of the world
Appropriate keys for target audiences ranging from
elementary school students to taxonomic
specialists
EOL is a natural outlet for these resources,
particularly if we are trying to build our value for
working scientists

7. Identification Keys: The Reality
It’s awfully hard to build keys that meet all—or
even any—of these criteria:
easily accessible
flexible, easy to use
well-illustrated
authoritative and up-to-date
appropriate geographic scope
But it’s easier than ever before!

8. The Universe of Identification Keys
Dichotomous keys
I love them…but I also
• still listen to music almost exclusively on CDs
• have never paid a utility bill online
• have never “friended” someone on Facebook
1969 1970 1977 1978

9. The Universe of Identification Keys
Dichotomous keys- So 20th Century!
Matrix-based keys
• are based on a matrix of taxa and character states
• allow the user to score characters in any order
• do not require that the matrix be completely filled in by
the key builder—and certainly not by the user
• generally provide a very large number of paths to any
particular taxon
• are potentially far more tolerant of user uncertainty and
error

10. Interactive Matrix Key Building Tools
Lucid:http://www.lucidcentral.com/
Discover Life: http://www.discoverlife.org/
Many others (e.g., see handout)
Please share with us your own experiences with
these or other tools!

24. Discover Life Online ID Keys
Building and using keys is free and (relatively)
straightforward; very flexible
Anyone with web access can build a key; anyone
with web access can use a key made available
on DL (can download, too)
Can provide character state illustrations
Extremely easy to update or correct errors
When building or using keys, overscoring avoids
mistaken taxon elimination due to variation in
organisms or interpretation

29. EOL, ID KEYS, AND YOU
EOL is a work-in-progress
All you Rubenstein Fellows and mentors are
pioneers in the effort to quickly take it to the
next level -- we need your ideas and input!