The Web as Science's Database: The Encyclopedia of Life (EOL)

The social web (Web 2.0) built on decentralized tools for participation with cheap data storage accessed by increasingly affordable broadband networks is allowing the Internet to function as society's database.  The best exemplar of this trend is Wikipedia which boasts over 10 million articles in more then 250 languages used by 684 million users.[1]  However, interestingly, a Nature survey in 2005 revealed that while 70% of scientists had heard of Wikipedia few used it  and only a fraction (10%) had ever edited an entry. [2]

In 2007 renowned Harvard biologist E.O. Wilson called for the creation of an Encyclopedia of Life which would act as gathering point for scientific research on every aspect of the biosphere.[3] The goal of this project is to create a scientific valid online database containing information on the 1.8 currently known species.  Projected to take over 10 years with a cost estimate of ~$110 million the project hopes to catalyze scientific and amateur interest in the biosphere. Anyone will be able to contribute information to the site but scientific experts will validate information prior to it being included on an official species page.[3]  Exemplar pages, for example of the Peregrine Falcon, are now available, see http://www.eol.org/taxa/16990688

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:About
[2] http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v438/n7070/full/438900a.html
[3] http://www.eol.org/faq