ABSTRACT
Revisionary taxonomists are more often apologists than promoters of their discipline. Yet apologies are unnecessary since describing the diversity of life is arguably the most socially important role of taxonomy. Describing life combines a major social role with good scholarship. Taxonomists need not agonize over whether their research is question-driven, ‘real’ science, or, perhaps, even if all parts should even be demarcated as science. Rather they should ensure that it is high-quality, comprehensive research. Is all archaeology or anthropology science? Is historical research compromised because it is not science? Taxonomy should be celebrated for what it is rapidly becoming-a discipline that is as much about informatics as it is about biology. It may be unfashionable for a field to be descriptive, archive dependent (literature and collections), and concerned with historical data (e.g. species and phylogenies) rather than universal statements. But in the light of taxonomy’s profound engagement with information science, its evident value to a society rapidly depleting its biodiversity and the frequency with which the subject is debated in the scientific press mean there is no reason to treat the field as anything other than leading edge. Taxonomists have progressed by adopting an e-dimension in their work, but deeper and quicker engagement is desirable. To encourage such a transformation requires
Introduction .............................................................................................................. 19 Revival ..................................................................................................................... 21 The New Systematics ...............................................................................................23 The New Taxonomy? ...............................................................................................24 Working Together: Individuals, Teams and Networks ............................................25 New ‘Big Taxonomy’ Initiatives ..............................................................................26
