TG4 - identificationVerificationStatus

[mjcollin]

While identificationVerificationStatus isn't subject to one of the ~100 high-priority tests at this point, we're hoping to use it let data providers have input in to our, as aggregators, interpretation of the taxonomy they provide. I think this is an interesting test case of how communication can happen through the data shared and is a good warm-up to the coming of annotations for everything.

Of course, it needs a controlled vocab. @tucotuco pointed me to this one:

http://hiscom.github.io/hispid/vocabulary/identification_verification_status.xml

@pzermoglio and I have looked at the contents of this field in GBIF, iDigBio et al and the data is thin and mostly not in any kind of vocabulary. I think any proposed standardization would not be at odds with existing data and our use of new terms in our workflows and providers providing data with new terms won't break any existing things. In that way I think it's actually much easier than continent or basisOfRecord etc.

[ArthurChapman]

There have been a couple of attempts in the past to develop an identificationVerificationStatus. The HISPID one that you cite is probably the most used. http://hiscom.github.io/hispid/vocabulary/identification_verification_status.xml

An earlier version of HISPID had the categories (taken from my Principles of Data Quality, 2005)

Term	Definition
0	The name of the record has not been checked by any authority
1	The name of the record determined by comparison with other named plants/animals
2	The name of the record determined by a taxonomist or by other competent person using collections and/or library and/or documented living material
3	The name of the plant/animal determined by taxonomists engaged in systematic revision of the group
4	The record is part of the type gathering

There is another developed by the Australian Fish Collection in 1993 - I am not sure if it is still in use:

Level	Term	Definition
1	Highly Reliable Identification	Specimen identified by (a) an internationally recognised authority of the group, or (b) a specialist that is presently studying or has reviewed the group in the Australian region
2	Identification made with a high degree of confidence at all levels	Specimen identified by a trained identifier who had prior knowledge of the group in the Australian region or used available literature to identify the specimen
3	Identification made with high confidence to genus but less so to species	Specimen identified by (a) a trained identifier who was confident of its generic placement but did not substantiate their species identification using the literature, or (b) a trained identifier who used literature but still could not make a positive identification to species, or (c) an untrained identifier who used most of the available literature to make the identification.
4	Identification made with limited confidence	Specimen identified by (a) a trained identifier who was confident of its family placement but unsure of generic or species identifications (no literature used apart from illustrations), or (b) an untrained identifier who had/used limited literature to make the identification.
5	Identification superficial	Specimen identified by (a) a trained identifier who is uncertain of the family placement of the species (cataloguing identification only), (**b) an untrained identifier using, at best, figures in a guide, or (c) where the status & expertise of the identifier is unknown

In 2004, in Brazil, I attempted a compromise set of terms - republished in my Principles of Data Quality, 2005, but I don't know of anyone who adopted it.

• identified by World expert in the taxa with high certainty
• identified by World expert in the taxa with reasonable certainty
• identified by World expert in the taxa with some doubts
• identified by regional expert in the taxa with high certainty
• identified by regional expert in the taxa with reasonable certainty
• identified by regional expert in the taxa with some doubts
• identified by non-expert in the taxa with high certainty
• identified by non-expert in the taxa with reasonable certainty
• identified by non-expert in the taxa with some doubt
• identified by the collector with high certainty
• identified by the collector with reasonable certainty
• identified by the collector with some doubt.