Award details

Prometheus: a novel database system for classifying biodiversity

ReferenceBIO10516
Principal Investigator / Supervisor Professor Jessie Kennedy
Co-Investigators /
Co-Supervisors
Dr P Barclay
Institution Edinburgh Napier University
DepartmentComputing
Funding typeResearch
Value (£) 79,415
StatusCompleted
TypeResearch Grant
Start date 02/11/1998
End date 02/11/2000
Duration24 months

Abstract

The task confronting taxonomists today is to catalogue biodiversity to facilitate conservation decisions in the face of rapid habitat loss. There are many alternative classifications for the same group of specimens and attempting to produce a single consensus nomenclature will slow down this vital work. Taxonomists must therefore work with several classifications, without judgement as to which is correct. Despite increasing use of computers in taxonomy, no extant database adequately supports multiple classifications; such systems are therefore suited only to representational and not investigative taxonomy. We address these problems by proposing a database system based on careful analysis of taxonomists working practices, which will allow one to switch between classifications, and to compare and contrast them in an even- handed manner. (Joint with grant BIO10518).

Summary

unavailable
Committee Not funded via Committee
Research TopicsX – not assigned to a current Research Topic
Research PriorityX – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative Bioinformatics (Phase 2) (BIO) [1998-2000]
Funding SchemeX – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme
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