The names used by biologists to label the observations they make are imprecise. This is an
issue as workers increasingly seek to exploit data gathered from multiple, unrelated sources
on line. Even when the international codes of nomenclature are followed strictly the resulting
names (Taxon Names) do not uniquely identify the taxa (Taxon Concepts) that have been
described by taxonomists but merely groups of type specimens. A standard data model for
exchange of taxonomic information is described. It addresses this issue by facilitating explicit
communication of information about Taxon Concepts and their associated names. A
representation of this model as a XML Schema is introduced and the implications of the use
of Globally Unique Identifiers discussed.
This paper is part of the special issue of OMICS on data standards.
