As coleções de plantas em herbários: a organização e representação da informação sob aspectos históricos e parâmetros metodológicos

Abstract

The objective of this research was to investigate patterns of information organization from herbarium collections in order to identify information dissemination and retrieval parameters. For this, we identified historical landmarks of the development of Botany and its classification systems throughout the historical periods of the West world. The creation of the systems of classification of plants were analyzed, and also their relation with collections‘ information. This work had as theoretical reference an interdisciplinary research with the contribution of Information Science, focusing on principles of Knowledge Organization. We analyzed the organization of online databases of the five largest herbariums in the world (in quantity of specimens), aiming to identify similarities and differences of the elements of representation of the collections items. For the analysis and comparison of the data of the bases, the fields of search and information about the specimens were focused. These analyzes pointed out the current configuration of the organization and representation of scientific data on Herbarium collections, focusing on information that is available for public access and that makes it possible to make science. We could observe that there are intersections in the solutions and problems of dissemination and retrieval of data on herbarium collections, and that there are possibilities of convergent paths. In addition, we note that the knowledge organization of Botany and botanical classification systems are an essential part of the information organization and representation of on herbaria collections. In this research, we conclude that there isn‘t a pattern followed by the herbaria analyzed in the parameters of information dissemination and retrieval. Although there is similarity in the basic identification fields, there are a number of other fields that are not shared by all. It was concluded that there is a demand not yet fully matched for aggregating and cross-referencing collections.