TY - JOUR TI - The critical importance of vouchers in genomics AU - Buckner, Janet C AU - Sanders, Robert C AU - Faircloth, Brant C AU - Chakrabarty, Prosanta A2 - Groll, Helga A2 - Rodgers, Peter VL - 10 PY - 2021 DA - 2021/06/01 SP - e68264 C1 - eLife 2021;10:e68264 DO - 10.7554/eLife.68264 UR - https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.68264 AB - A voucher is a permanently preserved specimen that is maintained in an accessible collection. In genomics, vouchers serve as the physical evidence for the taxonomic identification of genome assemblies. Unfortunately, the vast majority of vertebrate genomes stored in the GenBank database do not refer to voucher specimens. Here, we urge researchers generating new genome assemblies to deposit voucher specimens in accessible, permanent research collections, and to link these vouchers to publications, public databases, and repositories. We also encourage scientists to deposit voucher specimens in order to recognize the work of local field biologists and promote a diverse and inclusive knowledge base, and we recommend best practices for voucher deposition to prevent taxonomic errors and ensure reproducibility and legality in genetic studies. KW - genomics KW - evolution KW - natural history KW - museums KW - taxonomy KW - science forum JF - eLife SN - 2050-084X PB - eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd ER -