Problem
Research questions and friction points this paper is trying to address.
taxonomy
nomenclatural changes
digital preservation
scientific names
metadata
Codex Mutabilis: Preserving The Reasons For Changes In Scientific Names
🤖 AI Summary
This study addresses the challenge of preserving the explanatory rationale behind scientific nomenclatural changes, which is often lost in digital environments due to a lack of structured documentation. The authors propose and implement Codex Mutabilis, a novel digital publishing model that, for the first time, embeds nomenclatural justifications compliant with the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature into the publication workflow in a structured, machine-readable format. By integrating full-text evidence, persistent identifiers (e.g., DOIs), semantic metadata, and long-term archiving mechanisms, the model ensures durable traceability of taxonomic reasoning. Using the kākāpō (*Strigops habroptilus*) as a case study, the project demonstrates the feasibility of systematically preserving explanatory taxonomic metadata, thereby establishing a new paradigm for tracking the evolution of scientific knowledge.
📝 Abstract
Digital preservation infrastructures often prioritize the stability of content and metadata. In taxonomy, species names are formed according to the Articles listed in the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. The reasons for these changes are rarely recorded in detail or made machine-readable. This paper examines this preservation gap. Here, we cover issues in the Code by looking at approaches to recording nomenclatural changes related to the Kākāpō Strigops habroptilus. As a potential solution, we present Codex Mutabilis, a digital journal with a publication model that documents ICZN-mandated name changes with full textual justification, persistent identifiers, and archival infrastructure. We argue that this model offers a blueprint for preserving interpretive metadata in the sciences.
Innovation
Methods, ideas, or system contributions that make the work stand out.
Codex Mutabilis
nomenclatural changes
interpretive metadata
persistent identifiers
digital preservation
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