. "3 On the Nature of Biological Data." Catalyzing Inquiry at the Interface of Computing and Biology. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, 2005.
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Catalyzing Inquiry at the Interface of Computing and Biology
its absolute truth value). Without the existence of databases with differing editorial policies, some important but iconoclastic data or results might never be published. On the other hand, there is no guarantee of consistency among these data and results, which means that progress at the frontiers will depend on expert judgment in deciding which data and results will constitute the foundation from which to build.
In short, reconciling the tension between truth and diversity—both desirable, but for different reasons—is implicitly a part of the construction of every large-scale database.
