The Zoological Record
| Company type | Bibliographic index |
|---|---|
| Industry | Zoology, Scientific publishing |
| Predecessor | The Record of Zoological Literature |
| Founded | 1864 |
| Founder | Albert Günther, Zoological Society of London |
| Fate | Print edition ceased in 2016; continues as digital-only |
| Headquarters | London , United Kingdom |
| Products | Bibliographic index of zoological publications |
| Parent | Clarivate Analytics |
| Website | https://clarivate.com/academia-government/scientific-and-academic-research/research-discovery-and-referencing/web-of-science/zoological-record/ |
The Zoological Record (abbreviated as ZR) functions as a comprehensive electronic bibliographic index for zoological publications and acts as the de facto registry for scientific names within the field of zoology.
Established in 1864 by the Zoological Society of London under the title The Record of Zoological Literature, it adopted the name The Zoological Record in 1870. Between 1980 and 2004, publication was managed by BIOSIS, followed by Thomson Reuters until 2016, after which Clarivate Analytics assumed responsibility. Although its print edition ceased in 2016, the index continues to be available exclusively in digital format.
History
The inception of The Record of Zoological Literature occurred in 1864 when Albert Günther collaborated with zoologists from both the British Museum and the Zoological Society; its first issue appeared in 1865, documenting works from the previous year. Designed as an English equivalent to the German Archiv für Naturgeschichte, its purpose was to reduce delays in disseminating zoological research. Following six volumes, publisher John Van Voorst discontinued involvement due to insufficient financial returns. Subsequently, a Zoological Association took over production for volumes 7 through 22 (1870–1885), renaming it The Zoological Record before the Zoological Society resumed control in 1886.
At the turn of the century, competition emerged from the International Catalogue of Scientific Literature, whose zoology segment drew subscribers away despite Zoological Record maintaining a reputation for higher quality. Eventually, Zoological Record was incorporated as section N within that Catalogue until World War I terminated this partnership.
In 1980, a collaboration between the Zoological Society and BIOSIS commenced to jointly produce The Zoological Record, addressing a prior three-year publication delay through a catch-up initiative completed by 1988. The year 2001 saw BIOSIS and Cambridge Scientific Abstracts introduce Zoological Record Plus, which supplemented content with abstracts from CSA’s Biological Sciences database. After Thomson ISI acquired BIOSIS in 2004, publication rights transferred accordingly; following Thomson's merger with Reuters, production continued under Thomson Reuters. Presently, Clarivate Analytics publishes The Zoological Record solely as an electronic resource.
Coverage
Over time, The Zoological Record has broadened its scope across numerous phyla, adapting to evolving taxonomic classifications and nomenclature standards. The table below outlines the phyla covered during various years:
| 1865 | 1900 | 1968 | 2007 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Mammalia | 1. General Subjects | 1. Comprehensive zoology | 1. Comprehensive zoology |
| 2. Aves | 2. Mammalia | 2. Protozoa | 2. Protozoa |
| 3. Reptilia | 3. Aves | 3. Porifera | 3. Porifera & Archaeocyatha |
| 4. Pisces | 4. Reptilia & Batrachia | 4. Coelenterata | 4. Coelenterata & Ctenophora |
| 5. Mollusca | 5. Pisces | 5. Echinodermata | 5. Echinodermata |
| 6. Molluscoida | 6. Tunicata | 6. Vermes | 6A. Platyhelminthes & Nematoda etc. |
| 7. Crustacea | 7. Mollusca | 7. Brachiopoda | 6B. Annelida & Miscellaneous minor phyla |
| 8. Arachnida | 8. Brachiopoda | 8. Bryozoa | 6C. Conodonta & Fossil miscellanea |
| 9. Myriopoda | 9. Bryozoa | 9. Mollusca | 7. Brachiopoda |
| 10. Insecta | 10. Crustacea | 10. Crustacea | 8. Bryozoa & Entoprocta |
Zoological nomenclature
Although the necessity for a centralized repository of zoological names has long been acknowledged, no single official database has ever been established. The Zoological Record (ZR) continues to serve as the primary but unofficial index, covering approximately 90% of zoological publications worldwide.
In 1995, while preparing the fourth edition of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, a proposal was introduced advocating for an "international notification" system to register new zoological names. Due to its broad scope, ZR was selected as the foundation for this initiative. In response, BIOSIS created the Index to Organism Names (ION), a freely accessible database compiling names listed in the Zoological Record. Following BIOSIS's acquisition by Thomson Reuters, ION's coverage was extended to incorporate data from BIOSIS Previews and Biological Abstracts.
Additional entities and databases involved in biological nomenclature include the Committee on Data for Science and Technology (CODATA), Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), Species 2000, and the Taxonomic Database Working Group (TDWG). Collaborative online platforms like the Tree of Life Web Project, Encyclopedia of Life, Catalogue of Life, and Wikispecies also play significant roles in managing biodiversity information on a global scale.
Digital access
Issues of The Zoological Record published between 1870 and 1922 are largely available online through the Biodiversity Heritage Library. However, more recent volumes have not been digitized or made publicly accessible in image format.
References