# How to find cited source used for taxon changes **URL:** \ **Category:** Curators\ **Created:** [August 14, 2025, 12:52pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/how-to-find-cited-source-used-for-taxon-changes/68876 "2025-08-14T12:52:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![joseph92](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/joseph92/32/21696_2.png) [@joseph92](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/joseph92)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2025, 12:52pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/how-to-find-cited-source-used-for-taxon-changes/68876/1 "2025-08-14T12:52:59Z")
Sorry for what may be a simple question, but after taxonomic changes have been made and a source has been listed, how do we view said source? For example, I add a lot of species to the system and always try to find some publication that confirms their current existence and naming conventions, but once the species have been created, I haven’t been able to look through and find references to those sources anywhere on the species page. I’m sure I’m just missing it. ---
**Author:** ![swampster](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/swampster/32/37519_2.png) [@swampster](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/swampster)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2025, 1:11pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/how-to-find-cited-source-used-for-taxon-changes/68876/2 "2025-08-14T13:11:11Z")
Forgive me if this is not what you are looking for, but on a taxon page, you can click the “curation” drop down list (under the observation graphs) and the “history” tab will show you a list of changes to that taxon including when it was created and the associated notes. ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/inaturalist/original/3X/f/1/f15c5d4d89276c2ce2076608c1ba1030736c3ba8.png) ---
**Author:** ![bouteloua](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/bouteloua/32/1180_2.png) [@bouteloua](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/bouteloua)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2025, 2:02pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/how-to-find-cited-source-used-for-taxon-changes/68876/3 "2025-08-14T14:02:35Z")
> [@joseph92](#): > > I add a lot of species to the system and always try to find some publication that confirms their current existence and naming conventions, but once the species have been created, I haven’t been able to look through and find references to those sources anywhere on the species page. I’m sure I’m just missing it. When you view the edit page of a taxon, there is a Source section on the lower right side: ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/inaturalist/original/3X/f/0/f032faf3347073c11b7ad3e721fc5639f9bfa9cc.png) ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/inaturalist/original/3X/7/a/7a9c3753205f12c478636e0e21f10b41f0179d27.png) On taxon changes, the source is at the top: ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/inaturalist/original/3X/a/6/a6d4daa5855daa9a09a229f3772f9753ae73c3aa.png) ---
**Author:** ![joseph92](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/joseph92/32/21696_2.png) [@joseph92](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/joseph92)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2025, 4:30pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/how-to-find-cited-source-used-for-taxon-changes/68876/4 "2025-08-14T16:30:13Z")
Ah thank you. So there’s no way for non-curators to find this source unless they’re looking at a taxon swap action or something similar? They would have to see the “edit taxon” menu (which I don’t think they can do) in order to see source. ---
**Author:** ![joseph92](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/joseph92/32/21696_2.png) [@joseph92](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/joseph92)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2025, 4:31pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/how-to-find-cited-source-used-for-taxon-changes/68876/5 "2025-08-14T16:31:52Z")
Close, but the history of the taxon does not show the sources referenced; I feel like it should though. ---
**Author:** ![tiwane](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/tiwane/32/54612_2.png) [@tiwane](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/tiwane)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2025, 4:55pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/how-to-find-cited-source-used-for-taxon-changes/68876/6 "2025-08-14T16:55:06Z")
If you go to the Taxonomy tab on the taxon page, you can click on Taxon Changes to see any changes made, eg [https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/24259-Pseudacris-regilla#taxonomy-tab](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/24259-Pseudacris-regilla#taxonomy-tab) ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/inaturalist/original/3X/5/4/548a65e2a8d9725e563b351a531fdf040ad8eb32.png) Clicking that will take you to all the taxon changes involving that taxon: [https://www.inaturalist.org/taxon\_changes?taxon\_id=24259](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxon_changes?taxon_id=24259) ---
**Author:** ![jakob](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/jakob/32/1563_2.png) [@jakob](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/jakob)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2025, 12:21pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/how-to-find-cited-source-used-for-taxon-changes/68876/7 "2025-08-20T12:21:10Z")
I think this question shows that taxon sources could be featured in a more accessible way to the whole iNat community. Although the source can be found as described above, I suggest an additional and obvious link somewhere on the taxon page. ---
**Author:** ![joseph92](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/joseph92/32/21696_2.png) [@joseph92](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/joseph92)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2025, 1:08pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/how-to-find-cited-source-used-for-taxon-changes/68876/8 "2025-08-20T13:08:25Z")
That doesn’t actually show anything if the taxon is newly created and hasn’t been “changed” though. I think users should be able to find the source reference for newly created taxa (as long as one is entered). ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/inaturalist/original/2X/7/7831452cf7f0d653ff1ffd34176334b7ef1b6a17.png) [@system](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/system)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2025, 1:09pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/how-to-find-cited-source-used-for-taxon-changes/68876/9 "2025-10-19T13:09:17Z")
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