Speciesincluding

Speciesincluding is a term used in biodiversity informatics to describe a data handling approach that deliberately includes all taxon concepts related to a name in results. It refers to retrieving not only the exact accepted name but also associated synonyms, deprecated combinations, subspecies, and other infraspecific taxa that are linked within a taxonomic backbone. The goal is to improve retrieval recall and ensure that relevant records are not missed when taxonomic names have changed or vary across sources.

Origin and usage of the term are informal; it is not a formal standard. In practice, systems implement similar functionality through separate controls such as include synonyms, include infraspecific taxa, and include deprecated names. When a user enables a speciesincluding-like option, the search or annotation process consults a taxonomic authority or backbone to map related concepts and expand the result set accordingly.

Implementation typically involves a taxonomy-aware query layer and metadata fields that associate names with synonyms and taxonomic concepts. Common data sources include established backbones such as taxonomic authority databases, which provide relationships among names, synonyms, and higher or lower taxonomic ranks. A practical example is a search query for a species name that returns records for the accepted name plus its synonyms and any recognized subspecies, ensuring comprehensive coverage.

Benefits of speciesincluding include higher recall and reduced risk of missing relevant data. Challenges include potential duplication from synonyms, confusion over deprecated names, and the need for robust synonym resolution and taxonomic updates. See also biodiversity informatics, taxonomy, taxonomic backbone, synonyms, and Darwin Core.