How+to+write+a+species+page

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__What is a species page?__
A webpage presenting information on a single species, usually in a standard format within the project itself. For interested individuals to:
 * Confirm species identifications
 * Know more about the biology/taxonomy
 * Links to associated information and/or other related species.

Encyclopedia of Life (Aedes aegypti) Digital Nature Archive of Singapore (Camponotus gigas) Animal Diversity Web (Polites peckius) Wikispecies (Chorocaecilius brunellus) SpeciesID (Perochaeta cuirassa) Planetary Biodiversity Inventory - Oonopidae (Ischnothyreus tekek)
 * Examples:**
 * ​**Sepsidnet (Themira superba)

__What is in it?__
e.g. Sepsidnet, Oonopidae PBI
 * Taxonomic Information**
 * Names: Scientific, Vernacular, Synonyms
 * Type information: Type material (where is it kept?), historical information on the study of the type material
 * Species diagnosis tools: Illustrations and texts to help identify and confirm species.
 * Distributional Information: where can the species be found

e.g. ADW, EOL.
 * Associated Information**
 * Biological information: Life history (lifespan, behavior, reproduction //etc//.)
 * Anthropic association: Economic importance to humans, conservation status
 * Links to associated literature: Published papers on species description, behavior, Genbank records


 * Some Pointers**
 * Keep in mind your target audience - who are they, and what do they expect?
 * Keep your material interesting but professional. This means using formal language and not too informal. This also means that you //**italicize**// all non-English words - including all scientific binomial names.
 * Arrange information in a palatable way. Most people see only the top part of a website and use it to decide if they want to read on further. If you put all the important but boring stuff up front in a wall of words, it may put people off. On the other hand, if they start seeing pictures immediately, it piques interest much more. Pepper your site with images if possible and leave the more 'humdrum' stuff to the bottom of the page.
 * Pictures and other interesting media (//e.g.//, video clips, flash applets) can spice up your site much better than words.

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__Referencing and Copyrights__
Species pages are secondary sources of information in that they draw upon other references such as species descriptions and behavioral studies //etc//. Thus it is inevitable that you will need to take information from other sites and/or papers to generate your own species page. There are points to note on locating your source data and adhering to copyright protocols.

First of all, here are some avenues for acquiring information on your species:
 * Google and Wikipedia: Google is very good at locating journal articles. Wikipedia also provides a decent amount of information on species, but they are again second-hand information that needs to be verified.
 * Other species pages (such as those listed above) will provide valuable information. But use them only as a reference to your own page. Inspect those species pages and think about what is missing and/or could be improved upon, and implement it in your own page.
 * NUS Databases. The NUS Library's databases such as Web of Science and JSTOR are powerful tools to search for your data. If you cannot access an article, it may be available as a physical copy in the NUS Science library archives.
 * Biodiversity Heritage Library: This is an initiative to digitize and upload older biological articles onto its site. Chances are, if the species description is old enough (e.g. 1900s), you will find it there.

The need to cite any information you use should be ingrained in you by now.
 * CITE all information that you use. The presentation of a species page is no less important than a written journal article. Citations lend credibility to your information.
 * TEXT: If you quote text, indicate that it is presented verbatim from the source ("quoted from...."). Otherwise, if you paraphrase, indicated that it is "adapted from...".
 * IMAGES: It is easy to acquire images off the net. Make sure that the source allows you to paste on your site. See Creative Commons for more information. Images from journal articles may have different copyright rules depending on the journal. Make sure you check the journal guidelines. One way of overcoming such image copyrights (esp. for illustrations) is to completely reproduce it from scratch.
 * VIDEOS: Likewise for videos - most video platforms allow you to embed their material, but check the small print. Popular platforms such as Youtube and Vimeo usually have no issue.

=__ **Creating a link to your species page on the homepage:** __=

Once you have decided on your organism, you can add it to the list on the HOMEPAGE, under your taxonomic group. If that group has not been created yet, you can create your own. The following format should be used (e.g.):

Class Name (Vernacular name) <--Heading 2 font
> [Student Name, Year] <--Normal font
 * **//Species Name//** (Taxonomic grouping) <--Normal font

Next, once you have created your own species page, you should link it back to this page. You can do this by highlighting the text and then clicking the 'insert link' button on the top toolbar. Insert Wiki-link and choose an existing page. As such, you must have an already-created species page before you can link it!