PMC

Underlined text represents links.

Underlined text represents links. The arrow points to a particular record where Alcock (1900) applied the name G. inversus to Kingsley's (1880) use of G. smithii.

Underlined text represents links. Contrast the style and content of this output with the raw data records for the same paper illustrated in .

The long tail of publications prior to 1924 are not included for clarity. a) Representation of the literature currently included in the name database versus those still pending. Approximately one quarter of all publications are in the database, including 95% of those published prior to 1924 (not shown) and two thirds of those published through 1975. The inset figure shows the cumulative number of publications in the database, by year, illustrating the explosion of literature over the past 40 years. b) Representation of the literature by accessibility. While the specific distribution is unique to my own circumstances, it generally illustrates the type of pattern one might expect to find with respect to accessibility of the primary literature.

The columns represent: (1) a unique key to identify a publication; (2) a numeric key for separating different names used in a single publication and in different contexts; (3) the exact name as used in the publication; (4) where in the publication the name occurs or is applied; (5) the context of the use; (6–7) additional information on the context, with details depending on the type of context (described in text); (8) the “actual species”: either the accepted species (as we now understand it) which the authors was referring to or an equals sign (for citation contexts) indicating the accepted species should be computationally determined; (9) notes on the name usage. A period generally indicates no data (columns could not be left blank). Two additional columns of data were also recorded: the common name(s) used in the publication and notes on the publication in general. These columns were rarely used and were left out of the figure to save space. Specific records indicated with letters in circles are discussed further in the text.