Search

Searching for information (on specimens)

For example, there is different types of information on specimens that is more directly available from drop downs other than for specimen records. Nearly all of the major search options available in the drop down list accessible from the navigation bar lead to information about specimens and/or specimen records. The following list is covers all of the items that are available through the drop down list along with a brief description of what is available specimen-wise. 'Expert' and 'Scrutiny' currently have the least direct path to specimen data. All of the searches potentially lead to information on specimen records. Since some of the searches provide more direct information on specimen records than others, a brief summary for all of the searches is detailed below.

Data source Allows search for specific types of data. The default setting is for all data types: Image, Sound recording, Specimen data, Key block, Supplementary information, Ecological relationship, and Unused data source. Check boxes can be deselected for more focused searches. The box allows for text Ecological relationship Allows search for 'Ecological relationship' that include 'Specimen level relationships' Expert Indirect access to specimens is possible through taxa associated with a particular expert Faunal list The Faunal list search alllows the user to find the taxa associated with a geographic region. The regions available are the TDWG levels 1-3 and may be accessed using the place name search or using the drop down list. The list that is returned is static and includes distribution data from specimens as well as from direct edits. Information is grouped by family names and alphabetically within the family. Locality Searching for a locality based on geographic or geologic levels provides a list of localities meeting specifications having specimen records Person Searching for a person leads indirectly to specimens through access to author records, and then references Publication Searching for a publication leads indirectly to specimens through access to individual references containing specimen records Reference Searching for references leads to a list of references associated with a particular author; from hear selecting an individual reference leads to specimen records associated with the reference Scrutiny Searching for individual scrutinies can lead to specimen information by way of scrutinies dealing with specimens as the focal point of a scrutiny or by accessing a particular taxon record having information on specimen records Specimen record Searching for specimen records provides ways of delimiting searches by taxon, collecting, collection, and specimen category information Specimen Depository Searching for and selecting a 'Specimen depository' provides information on: ▪	Number of specimen records ▪	Number of type records ▪	Number of primary type records Statistics Searching for the statistics associated with a particular taxon includes the total number of specimen records for that taxon

Taxon Simple search by name The 'Taxon' search provides several ways of searching. The default is 'Simple search by name' and this in turn has several default settings that can be changed by all users. •	Scope of the search is set as the Apex taxon, or the entire database. Clicking on the “Provide alternatives button produces a succesive series of drop down lists that reduces the scope to a particular suborder, family or any other taxon. •	By default all taxa are included but it is possible to restrict searches to those taxa that have images, sound recordings and/or links by clicking the check boxes. •	The default setting searches for both valid taxa as well as synonyms, however by selecting the radio button, a search can be restricted to valid taxa only. •	The name of the taxon can be searched as an exact match using “equals” (which is the default setting), “starts with” or “contains” delimiters. Complex search The “Complex search” provides the greatest set of parameters for taxon searches. Upon clicking the radio button the “Expanded scope” drop down lists as when expanding the scope of a simple search. In addition, the following areas are selectable and searchable. •	Author searches for author name associated with the taxa. If multiple authors, then the “Create and author list” option is available. •	Years can be searched using the =, operators as well as selecting to search within a range of years •	The taxa returned can be limited by rank using a drop down list. This is useful if one want only the species found within a particular family. •	 It is possible to search for only those taxa having specimens found at a particular locality or region. •	This also allows for the limiting of thos specimens from a particular geological time period using the drop down lists •	The distribution text field •	Ecology text field •	Depository •	Original genus Binomial or trinomial names including previous combinations Selecting the Binomial or trinomial names radio button opens four search boxes allowing the user to search for data on genus, subgenus, species and subspecies as it is stored within the nomenclator. This means that previous combinations that no longer correspond to valid taxa can be searched. Common name search This radio button produces a single box where a common name can be entered and searched across the entire database. Other taxon in an ecological relationship Selecting the other taxon radio button three different search boxes that allow a user to search by genus and above names, names below genus group names, or by common name. Options are available at the bottom of the page to show all top taxon for ecological relationships and add new taxon for ecological relationships.