4. Individual participation

On of the goals of this project is to synthesize existing knowledge of the current classification of each moss family. The project, therefore, must involve the worldwide bryological community, especially the U.S. institutions, in order to draw upon their expertise. Only in this way can the taxonomic accounts on the mosses of China be developed to the fullest extent and to the highest international standards. This project is designed to encourage participation by as many bryologists as possible in writing and reviewing taxonomic treatments.

Authors, co-authors, and reviewers participating in this project include nearly all Chinese bryologists and bryologists from North America, Europe, Russia, and Japan. Participants have been working on this project in their home institutions on a volunteer basis. Nevertheless, funds will be sought by western co-authors to support Chinese counterparts coming to western herbaria to prepare large manuscripts. Although visiting major western herbaria is a more efficient method of studying large and difficult groups, the preliminary revision and initial preparation of English manuscripts of all taxa will have to be undertaken inside the Chinese author's institutions.

In order to protect the project from over-committed authors and maximize the number of bryologists participating in this project, prospective authors are encouraged to treat groups of genera or even species individually, rather than whole families. Bryologists particularly knowledgeable about East Asiatic bryology or about special groups that fall within their taxonomic expertise will be invited to review treatments. Invitations to authors and reviewers are issued by the project coordinator upon recommendation of the editorial committee. Authors, reviewers, and all other participants who contribute their efforts to this project are acknowledged fully and appropriately in the printed books and in all versions of the Flora as well as in the computer database.