Life Sketches: Evidence-based analysis of trophic interactions across the tree of life from the biodiversity literature
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Brighton
Department Name: Sch of Computing, Engineering & Maths
Abstract
The aim of this project is to provide biodiversity researchers with a facility analogous to word sketches, but based upon taxonomic and trophic relationships between species. Using evidence- based lexicographic techniques and exploiting the implicit taxonomic structure of the biodiversity data, the project will create 'life sketches', offering researchers a statistical snapshot of how, how often, when and where a particular species occurs in the literature, and what kinds of trophic interactions with other species it engages in. With such a tool, researchers will be able to address key questions in biodiversity sciences, such as the evolution of trophic interactions across the tree of life with focus on different geographic and time scales, with a much enhanced statistical power that may challenge long held but not robustly tested hypotheses describing key processes of the co- diversification of unrelated organisms through time and in place.
Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
| Roger Evans (Primary Supervisor) | |
| Sandra Young (Student) |
Studentship Projects
| Project Reference | Relationship | Related To | Start | End | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP/N509607/1 | 01/10/2016 | 31/03/2023 | |||
| 1792852 | Studentship | EP/N509607/1 | 03/10/2016 | 31/03/2020 | Sandra Young |
| Description | New method by which to profile meaning in terminology usage using empirical lexicographic techniques. This involved adapting traditional lexicographic techniques to take on visual forms to create visual networks of relations between words and also using tabular data and traditional corpus linguistic analysis to make comparisons between different corpora and against existing knowledge resources. The development of the method also involved a systematisation of filter parameters and the different features they highlighted in the data and how the networks of relations between terms differed when the terms were dealt with in different ways. This contributes significant new knowledge to a number of different domains: firstly to the domain of data and knowledge representation with the contribution of a new method for empirical presentation of knowledge within a corpus. The thesis also contributes to the domain here by demonstrating ways that this data can be manipulated to highlight different features of the information. The domain focus of the research, the biodiversity literature and the biological nomenclature, now have a preliminary test on one aspect of the domain to demonstrate areas in which existing knowledge resources match or have gaps or issues and a differing perspective on potentially how the nomenclature is used in the literature, which could be applied to further areas of the nomenclature or biodiversity literature or also to inform future work. Finally, the work also contributes to the domains of lexicography and terminology by extending the use of Word Sketches to an application beyond that of their usual field of work and opens up the horizons for linguistic investigation to move further down this path. |
| Exploitation Route | The outcomes of this funding can contribute to the fields of biodiversity and informatics in their use and understanding of nomenclature and the terminological resources linked to this. It is also a valuable contribution to those working in knowledge representation in relation to the relativity of this and how empirical data can be used to evaluate and contribute to existing knowledge resources, as well as challenging or supporting the status quo in this area. In the area of linguistics, this method could have practical applications for lexicography and terminology, as well as in translation and interpreting with further developments to the method to add an inter-lingual element. The application of the method to domains beyond the scientific nomenclature could have implications for many areas in which empirical evidence can be obtained through narrative discourse of different types to confirm or refute suppositions. |
| Sectors | Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Other |
| Description | Expert evaluation/outreach |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | To provide validity to the thesis I invited a number of biodiversity professionals from Brighton University and also the Natural History Museum to talk about my work and get feedback about the research and its applicability to their work. This took place right at the beginning of the Covid pandemic and had to be changed from in person to online at the last minute. However, it was still a worthy activity and not only served to gain arguments as to the validity of the work but also served to engage with domain professionals. The participants suggested that the method could be useful particularly for students working in biodiversity or for non-experts dealing with the issues of the nomenclature, as well as praising the visual presentation of the method. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |