A Comprehensive and Standards-Aware Common Data Model (CDM) for Taxonomic Research

The EDIT Common Data Model (CDM) (FUB, BGBM 2008) is the centrepiece of the EDIT Platform for Cybertaxonomy (FUB, BGBM 2011, Ciardelli et al. 2009). Building on modelling efforts reaching back to the 1990ies, it aims to combine existing standards relevant to the taxonomic domain (but often designed for data exchange) with requirements of modern taxonomic tools. Modelled in the Unified Modelling Language (UML) (Booch et al. 2005), it offers an object oriented view on the information domain managed by expert taxonomists that is implemented independent of the used operating system and database management system (DBMS). Being used in various national and international research projects with diverse foci over the past decade, the model evolved and became the common base of a variety of taxonomic projects, such as floras, faunas and checklists (see FUB, BGBM 2016 for a number of data portals created and made publicly available by different projects). The CDM is strictly oriented towards the needs of the taxonomic experts community. Where requirements are complex it tries to reflect them reasonably rather than introducing ambiguity or reduced functionality via (over-)simplification. Where simplification is possible it tries to stay or become simple. Simplification on the model level is achieved by implementing business rules via constraints rather than via typification and subclassing. Simplification on the user interface level is achieved by numerous options for customisation. Being used as a generic model for a variety of application types and use cases, it is adaptable and extendable by users and developers. It uses a combination of static and dynamic typification to allow both efficient handling of complex but well-defined data domains such as taxonomic classifications and nomenclature as well as less well-defined flexible domains like factual and descriptive data. Additionally it allows the creation of more than 30 types of user defined vocabularies such as those for taxonomic rank, nomenclatural status, ...