Voucher Specimens

The CUIC includes numerous specimens identified with CUIC Voucher Specimen labels.  CUIC Voucher lots are intended to connect individual specimens to a single voucher number, with that voucher number cited in any publication based on those specimens. Voucher numbers were historically used in place of date locality labels, necessitating the use of the voucher lot book to find out important information about the specimens.  Currently all pertinent information about a specimen is placed on labels tied to the specimen, either associated with the specimen pin, vial, or microslide. The voucher number is thus used as an additional datum specifically tying the specimens to an entry in our Voucher lot book. In this entry we record publications citing this voucher number as those publications are made known to us by the authors.

The system works well in two directions; 1, a collection visitor sees a CUIC voucher lot number cited in the literature and wishes to examine the actual specimens that formed part of that particular study; and 2, a collection visitor sees an individual specimen with a voucher numbered label and wishes to find out where that specimen was recorded in the literature.

It is a requirement of the Cornell University Field of Entomology that specimens comprising data in graduate M.S. theses and Ph.D. dissertations be vouchered and deposited in the CUIC. The collection staff is available for consultation to make certain that specimen preparation and labeling is in compliance with CUIC archival policies. The CUIC is happy to accept any vouchered material as long as it is properly prepared, labeled, and identified.  We retain the right to refuse improperly prepared, or labeled specimens, as they lack scientific credence, and if not properly prepared will not serve the purpose of an archival specimen supporting the published research.

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