This document discusses and compares different types of interactive keys that can be used for species identification. It outlines the history of identification keys, requirements for interactive keys, popular software programs like Delta and Lucid, data formats, and recent developments that make keys more portable and enable online collaboration. The future of interactive keys lies in technological solutions that don't require lugging around heavy computers and can aggregate data from different sources online.

1. A Comparison of Interactive Key Software Kehan Harman Herbarium, Kew [email_address]

2. Summary Introduction Types of Interactive Key Delta & Lucid Other tools Recent Developments Blue Skies Ken McCown

3. Other types of keys

4. Introduction Why Keys? Diagnostic Key over 200 years old Integral Part of Taxonomic Literature Extremely useful Gateway for the uninitiated 'Paper' Keys

5. Types of Interactive Keys Conventional/Binary Keys with interactive enhancements Multimedia Hyperlinks Follow 'both leads' Examples Disadvantages Similar to paper based keys Only one solution Unknown/Missing characters

6. Types of Interactive Keys Multi-Access Keys Matrix based key Allows user to start anywhere Error Tolerance Uncertainty Numeric characters used directly Not divided into a range of characters

7. Multi Access Keys Additional Benefits 'Best Character' Different Modes Differences & Similarities Query Data Disadvantages Contingency Problem If-Then Variable taxa Can't guide users around common pitfalls

8. Types of Interactive Keys Rule Based Systems Emulate how a taxonomist recognises taxa 'Teach' the computer a number of rules Artificial Neural Networks In practice have to be trained with a large data matrix Large Matrix difficult for humans recognise overall patterns

9. Rule Based Systems Computers Large Datasets Bad with Patterns Generally best to allow computer to do searching through matrix Rule based systems not broadly implemented Medical diagnostics is it this disease or not not good when many options to choose from

10. Requirements for Interactive Keys Easy to use Easy to build Take both categorical and numeric data Deal with errors Deal with misinterpretation Deal with contingency Support multimedia Work on multiple platforms (But does it work on a Mac/PDA etc?)

11. Requirements cont... Easy to share data Other keys Other purposes Cladistic/Multivariate analysis Diagnostic descriptions Help the user to make informed choices 'Best Character' Differences/Similarities “I know it's Rube, but I don't know which genus”

12. Data Formats Building keys takes a lot of effort Both paper and interactive Great to be able to interchange data Descriptive Data Descriptions Identification Classification/Cladistics

13. Data Formats Standard Data Formats Delta DE scriptive L anguage for TA xonomy NEXUS – PAUP etc XML based Lucid/LIF SDD New Kid on the Block

14. Delta and Lucid Stand Alone Player CD Internet Lucid 3 has applet player Mature Software Download data matrix Four pane screen

15. Delta and Lucid Both 'Best Character' Groups/Sets eg Vegetative Characters Families/Genera Read Delta Format Lucid loses notes Help with Interpretation Images Notes

16. Differences Delta Commercial Support / Development Withdrawn Translation into Natural Language Other data analysis Lucid Misinterpreted Characters Bingo! Hierarchical Characters Taxa Keys SDD

17. Other Tools Applets Navikey Xper2 Web browser based SLIKS

19. Other Tools Server based ActKey X:ID Builder also web based Will run Lucid/LIF keys

20. Recent Developments SDD based keys Electronic Field Guide Applet Web Browser 'paper' © Apple

21. IdentifyLife Project GenBank for interactive keys Directory Tools for combining data Build keys 'online' Collaborate Mash keys together with other data eg checklists generate new keys on the fly

22. The Next Steps

23. Summary History Requirements for interactive keys Data Formats Intkey & Lucid Other implementations Technological and practical solutions nobody wants to lug a PC around nobody wants to lug the whole FTEA around

24. References Brach, A. R. & H. Song. 2005. ActKey: a Web-based interactive identification key program. Taxon 54(4): 1041-1046. Dallwitz, M.J., Paine, T.A. and Zurcher, E.J. 2000 onwards. Principles of interactive keys . http://delta-intkey.com http://www.identifylife.org/ http://lucidcentral.org Scher, J. Cut Flower Exports of Africa, Lucid v. 3.3, last updated April 18, 2006, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC and USDA/APHIS/PPQ Center for Plant Health Science and Technology, Raleigh, NC. Winterton, S.L. Accessed Dec 2006. Aquarium and Pond Plants of the World in X:ID. http://names.ubio.org/xid/index.php Thanks!