TETTRIs Name Matching API

The TNLS (Taxonomic Name Linking Services) was a sub project of TETTRIs (Transforming European Taxonomy through Training, Research and Innovations). Its purpose was to enable TETTRIs participants to link their services with those of the major, global taxonomic datasets thus aligning multiple datasets to a common, global taxonomic backbone system. The first work area in TNLS was to develop a common name matching design pattern applicable across multiple projects.

This is an demonstration of that initial common design pattern. Its aim is to explore the concept rather than be a finished tool.

Twenty different name matching services were surveyed. Forty input parameters were found across the services. There were six parameters that were considered common to all. Sixty different output fields were identified. Analysis narrowed these down to six common fields. These input parameters and output fields have been mapped to the WFO Plant List dataset and can be explored below.

Common Input Parameters

This form implements the six common input parameters identified. The shared documentation in highlighted in blue. The WFO implemenation is in grey.

#	Parameter	Type	Definition	Notes
1	name	string	The full scientific name of the organism as defined by an appropriate nomenclatural code. Required.	This may include the rank part of a name, the authority string and the year of publication where appropriate.
				WFO's default is to assume the author string is included in the name.
2	authorship	string	A string representation of the authors of the name.	If the client is able to pass this as a separate field.
				This is implemented as a filter to restrict results to names matching this authors string exactly.
3	year	integer	The year of publication of the name as an integer. The match must be published in this year if it is provided.	More relevant in zoology than botany.
		~ not specified ~ 175017511752175317541755175617571758175917601761176217631764176517661767176817691770177117721773177417751776177717781779178017811782178317841785178617871788178917901791179217931794179517961797179817991800180118021803180418051806180718081809181018111812181318141815181618171818181918201821182218231824182518261827182818291830183118321833183418351836183718381839184018411842184318441845184618471848184918501851185218531854185518561857185818591860186118621863186418651866186718681869187018711872187318741875187618771878187918801881188218831884188518861887188818891890189118921893189418951896189718981899190019011902190319041905190619071908190919101911191219131914191519161917191819191920192119221923192419251926192719281929193019311932193319341935193619371938193919401941194219431944194519461947194819491950195119521953195419551956195719581959196019611962196319641965196619671968196919701971197219731974197519761977197819791980198119821983198419851986198719881989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025		94% of names in the WFO Plant List have the year of publication specified as a separate field.
4	rank	string	The matching name must be at this rank or ranks if provided.	It is recommended the service provides a controlled vocabulary for this field.
		~ not specified ~ codekingdomsubkingdomphylumclasssubclasssuperorderordersuborderfamilysubfamilysupertribetribesubtribegenussubgenussectionsubsectionseriessubseriesspeciessubspeciesprolevarietysubvarietyformsubformlususunranked		WFO has a controlled vocabulary of 29 ranks.
5	kingdom	string	The matching name must be within this kingdom (e.g. Animalia, Plantae, Fungi, Protista, Archaea and Bacteria)	Useful for data aggregators covering all forms of life. Limits matching to a single nomenclatural code and prevents cross code homonyms.
		Defaults to Plantae		The WFO Plant List only contains names from the plant kingdom.
6	include_accepted	boolean	If the name matched is considered a synonym by the data source then also return the accepted name.	Differentiates between pure nomenclators that are only providing name matching services and taxonomic services.
		Include Accepted		WFO includes general taxonomic placement data in response to this parameter.
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Common Output Fields

The table below are suggestions of a minimum set of common fields. Services are likely to provide many more than these core fields depending on their user requirements.

Field Name	Type	Definition	Notes
ID	string	A persistent, unique (within the scope of the database or globally) identifier for this name object and or taxon.	Services may provide standard ways to convert local IDs to global (e.g. prepend URL). Should not change when name spelling changes.
name	string	The full scientific name of the organism as defined in by an appropriate nomenclatural code.	The correct way to cite the name according to the service provider.
name_html (optional)	string	The same as name but with the code mandated italics parts of the name delimited with <i> tags.	This is to allow client software to render the names correctly without needing to re-parse them.
authorship (optional)	string	A string representation of the authors of the name.	The correct author string for the name ideally following any domain standards such as IPNI authors.
accepted (optional)	boolean	Whether the name is an accepted name of a taxon or not.	Can be ignored by pure nomenclator services.
placement (optional)	array	Where the name is placed in the classification./td>	How this is presented will depend on the service. It could be a single string path or a more complex structure.