# The dwc:Identification class #

The [dwc:Identification](http://rs.tdwg.org/dwc/terms/#Identification) is 'the category of information pertaining to taxonomic determinations (the assignment of a scientific name).' In Darwin-SW a determination is applied to [individual organisms](ClassIndividual.md), assigning them to a [Taxon](ClassTaxon.md). Taxon is understood to be an instance of a taxon concept or taxon name usage (see the discussion of the [Taxon class](ClassTaxon.md)). A particular individual organism may be assigned several identifications. Each identification should be a separate instance of Identification.

## Notes on the Identification class ##
No distinction is made between the initial identification and subsequent identifications made by persons who "annotate" evidence (e.g. specimens) at a later time. "Identification" in this case is synonymous with "determination"; therefore the person doing the identifying could be referred to as the "determiner" rather than the "identifier" (to avoid confusion with use of "identifier" as in "globally unique identifier").<sup>1</sup> <sup>2</sup> <sup>3</sup>

The term identificationReferences is "a list of references
used in the assessment to make the determination. The dwc:identificationReferences might include taxonomic treatments, but they might also include something such as an expert range map or a field guide".<sup>4</sup>  identificationReferences is a string literal property populated with a concatenated text list of sources that were consulted.  dwc:identificationReferences is distinguished from dwc:nameAccordingTo which is a property of Taxon.  nameAccordingTo is intended to convey the publication which establishes the concept by circumscription or description of the characters which delineate the taxon.<sup>4</sup> <sup>2</sup>   (See the [Taxon class](ClassTaxon.md) for more on this.)

<sup>1</sup> http://lists.tdwg.org/pipermail/tdwg-content/2010-October/001694.html

<sup>2</sup> http://lists.tdwg.org/pipermail/tdwg-content/2010-October/001703.html

<sup>3</sup> http://lists.tdwg.org/pipermail/tdwg-content/2010-October/001708.html

<sup>4</sup> http://lists.tdwg.org/pipermail/tdwg-content/2010-October/001704.html


## Properties suitable for use in DSW (not a complete list) ##

### Data properties from DwC ###

  * **dwc:identifiedBy** string literal
  * **dwc:dateIdentified** ISO 8601 date-time string literal
  * **dwc:identificationRemarks** string literal
  * **dwc:identificationReferences** string literal
  * **dwc:identificationQualifier** string literal

### Object properties defined in the darwin-sw ontology ###

  * **dsw:identifies** range [dsw:IndividualOrganism](ClassIndividual.md)
  * **dsw:toTaxon** range [dwc:Taxon](ClassTaxon.md)
  * **dsw:idBasedOn** range [dsw:Token](ClassToken.md) (which also may be typed as specimen, image, DNA sample, etc.)
  * **dsw:idBy** range foaf:Agent