The process of developing a taxonomy does not often start from a blank slate; rather, it is often a process of gathering and curating terms from various internal or external sources, such as repositories, archives, translations, or industry standards. In this session, Duane describes the process of “reconciliation” in which taxonomists analyze these disparate terms in order to integrate them, harmonizing meanings, contexts, and user needs. For example, it could be as simple as recognizing that “New York City” may have the synonyms “Big Apple” (nickname) and “New Amsterdam” (historic place name). Even with the help of AI, it is still a human skill, and an essential taxonomist skill, to identify the appropriate language for each use case.
This talk was presented at the 2025 Taxonomy Bootcamp.