ReTAX: A Step in the Automation of Taxonomic Revision

Classification is an essential process in science. The creation (and refinement) of taxonomies is basic to many scientific tasks. Activities such as theory formation, law induction, and experimentation undoubtedly rely upon a sound classification of elements, e.g., physical, chemical, biological. More specifically, taxonomic revision can play an important role in scientific discovery. The detection of an anomalous experience which cannot be accommodated by an established scientific taxonomy may lead to the revision of the taxonomy; but it may also affect other scientific knowledge. In other words, the revision of taxonomic knowledge may challenge related scientific principles (or theories), which should then be reconsidered and investigated experimentally (Sokal, 1974). As noted by Shrager and Langley (1990), the formation (and revision) of taxonomies is one of the principal activities which should be considered in the computational simulation of