Multi-access Keys

Multi-access keys, such as those built using Lucid, do not suffer from the unanswerable couplet problem encountered in dichotomous keys because multi-access keys allow you to start with any character you choose and to proceed in any order you choose. In its database, a Lucid key contains character information about the taxa that are to be identified. When the user chooses a character state of a selected character in the key, the multi-access key retains taxa that have that character state; taxa that have a different character state for the selected character are discarded. When another character is chosen, the same process is repeated with the remaining taxa. Thus, in using a multi-access key you can avoid characters that are difficult for you or not appropriate for your specimen, making a multi-access key superior to a dichotomous key.

Ultimately, a multi-access key eliminates all taxa except the one that matches your specimen. However, if you cannot eliminate all the taxa, you will be left with a small group of taxa that can be compared more closely. Since multi-access keys depend on a complete check of all the taxa in the key's database each time a question is answered, they are ideal for computers, which can easily handle repetitive tasks at high speed.

 

 

 

 

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