The angiosperm phylogeny Website ‐ a tool for reference and teaching in a time of change

Abstract

AbstractRepositories of biological information should include up‐to‐date, cumulative research as well as address issues affecting the scholarly community at‐large. Because of the dynamic and interdisciplinary nature of research in today's biological “infosphere,” it is becoming increasingly difficult to produce stable and useful monographic treatments with the timeliness and impact that biodiversity issues deserve.The Angiosperm Phylogeny Website (“APweb”) is a biological information resource that has had far‐reaching impact in the botanical community. The APweb represents a culmination of information developed by botanical researchers, presented in a user‐friendly, hierarchical and intuitive format meant for all levels of interest in the botanical sciences. It is innovative in its field in that the content is dynamic, reflecting up‐to‐date research in the evolutionary relationships of flowering plants.This poster will discuss the significance, use and function of the APweb in its role as a teaching and reference tool as well as design, collaboration and technical issues encountered in its development. Of particular relevance to library and information science practitioners, the APweb may serve as an example of how a simple design can be used to present a wealth of information for plant bioinformatics and education.