User:Thiotrix/Test AWB for species pages

Test of semi-automated creation of species stubs

using AWB, as developed by User Mariusm.

Advantages:

• gives basic species info: name, authority, year, link to referenced database
• makes it easier for unexperienced wikispecies authors to contribute, if the stubs of species already exist.

Test with genus Fucus (Brown algae)

1. Creating subtaxon list on genus page using WBR (Wikipedia Bio References).
2. Creating list of accepted species according to WoRMS at Wikispecies:WoRMS species.
3. Creating of a sample page: Wikispecies:WoRMS species sample page.
4. Mariusm runs AWB, creating ca. 70 species pages in a few minutes, with name, authority, year, link to genus page at WoRMS and Algaebase.

Evaluation

• Most Stubs look good, like the sample page. Given information equals the only hand-written species of this genus, Fucus vesiculosus.
  • Exception: Species listed without authority (Fucus sherardii, Fucus tremella). Here the last letter is missing in the created text. Seems to be a fault of the Word macro that will be repaired.
• Desired additions: Authority link, author category and original publication, should be added manually or (better) per bot.
  • Link to authority could maybe done by template:a in the sample page, if there is only one authority for each species.
• WBR lists too many names ---> not well-suited for subtaxon list of algae.
• Although WoRMS relies directly on Algaebase, the taxonomy page at Algaebase gives ca 20 accepted species less than WoRMS. At a closer look, those seem partly to be nom. illeg. or homonyms --> better to rely directly on taxonomy page at Algaebase.
• Wikidata: circa 1/4-1/3 of the newly created species pages are already at Wikidata (mostly just the names).
  • Probably creation of wikidata items could be accessed per bot or AWB from the list of accepted species, too.
  • Wikidata holds several Fucus species that are not accepted since centuries (e.g. Fucus abrotanifolius, Fucus concatenatus do not belong to this genus since 1820), but without being cited as basionym or synonym for other names.

Refinement of species pages

• Test of manual refinement of some well known species (Fucus ceranoides, Fucus distichus, Fucus guiryi, Fucus radicans, Fucus serratus, Fucus spiralis)
  • Emending ot the stubs is easy and contributor-friendly, as links to the genus page of Algaebase already exists.
  • Names of authorities on Algaebase are not in IPNI format, but given as surnames. --> Name links have to be checked.
  • Algaebase holds often huge amounts of heterotypic synonyms --> maybe should be restricted here to species level?

Conclusion and recommendations

• The method is helpful for the creation of species stubs.
• The basic "list of accepted species" has to be prepared with great accuracy, using the most reliable resource.
• It is recommended to include Template:Stub in the sample page, which invites for further improvement of the species pages.
• Existing species pages are skipped by AWB. A check is needed, if they contain any useful content.
• For algae, the genus subtaxon list and the list of accepted species should rely directly on the taxonomy page at Algaebase.