Concept Reference Citation

Citation for the reference that describes the circumscription of the Element.

Since the circumscription of many taxa or communities may be described in the same reference, in order to uniquely identify the Element, the scientific name assigned to the Element in the concept reference is recorded in the Name Used in Concept Reference field. The concept reference and the name used in that concept reference are fixed; thus, they provide a constant identifier for the Element, although the name in use for the Element and other associated data may change.

The purpose of using both the concept reference and the scientific name used in that reference as the unique and constant identifier of the Element is so that where different parties use different names for the same Element, the concept reference will allow clear determination that the entities are the same. Likewise, if different parties use the same name for different Elements, the concept references should quickly identify the entities as different.

Data entry details:

The concept reference citation may be a reference for a published document (e.g., Daubenmire 1970), or an unpublished reference such as the International Vegetation Classification (IVC), or a Heritage Program or Conservation Data Centre classification.

When creating a new Element Tracking record, the system will automatically display as a default the value entered in the Primary Reference field in the associated Scientific Name record. This reference will also be listed on the Element References window with the Concept reference box checked, as well as the boxes for Scientific Name and Primary Scientific Name, (see Primary Name Reference Citation). If the concept reference is changed (but see next paragraph below) within the IDENTIFIERS section of the Element Tracking record, this new reference will automatically be entered in the Element References window with the Concept reference box checked. The previously entered reference will not be removed from the Element References window, but the Concept reference box will no longer be checked for that reference. Note that the Concept reference box in the Element References window is not a separate attribute in the data table, but rather is a display-only checkbox, controlled by the entry in the Concept Reference Citation field of the Element Tracking record.

Once an Element Tracking record has been created, the concept reference, along with the entry in the Name Used in Concept Reference field, should not change. Static values in this field allow verification of the identity of the Element over time and among parties (who may not use the same key fields), even if other attributes (such as the scientific name) change. Under no circumstances should the concept reference and the name used in the concept reference be changed to indicate a change in the recognized circumscription for the Element. If the accepted circumscription of the Element is determined to be incorrect or changes, a new Element Tracking record should be created for the newly accepted circumscription with the correct information in the Concept Reference Citation and Name Used in Concept Reference fields. If appropriate, the new Element Tracking record should have Standard entered in the Classification Status field, while the Element Tracking record for the previously recognized circumscription should be archived (inactivated) or its Classification Status field entry changed to Nonstandard.

There may be rare, special cases where it is necessary to change the concept reference. For instance, there may be a one#time event to replace a concept reference that has insufficient information to describe the Element’s circumscription. This is especially true in cases where a placeholder citation was used instead of a published reference when the record was created because a reference describing the circumscription had not been published (e.g., when entering Element records for undescribed species). However, the concept reference should never be replaced simply to replace a sufficient concept reference with a better one. If the reference is to be replaced there must be verification that the new reference expresses the identical circumscription as the old one (i.e., the authors intended the same circumscription in the two references). Notes should be entered in the Internal Notes field within the Document Maintenance section explaining why the reference was changed. Note that the previous concept reference value (Reference ID) will be recorded in Record Maintenance. To change the reference, use the button to open the Search for Reference window to select the reference that contains the description of the Element’s concept.

See also:

Create a new Element Tracking record

Data Model Details:

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