What does a paired statement key consist of?

Answer 1

What is a branching key?

I think you're asking about what I call a dichotomous key. These are a way to identify something using paired statements where each item to be identified will fit only one of the statements. An easy way to do this is with the actual items, or photos or notecards representing them. Choose some characteristic that allows you to divide the objects into two groups. Then, continuing with one of the groups, divide it into two groups based on another characteristic. Keep doing this (and writing down the characteristics you've used to separate the groups) until only one item remain in each group.

As an example, you can do a key for simple shapes: a circle, a triangle, a square, and a rectangle

1a. Shape has a curve.......circle

1b. Shape has no curves......2

2a. Shape has three lines...triangle

2b. Shape has more than three lines....3

3a. Shape has four lines of equal length....square

3b. Shape has four lines of two different lengths...rectangle

If the statement has only one item that fits, you write the name of that item. If more than one item still fits the statement, write the number for the next pair of statements. Sometimes, both statements will have more than one item left, so both will have numbers (I didn't use enough items for this to happen in the example).

All the characteristics used should be things that are permanent.

Answer 2

A number paired statement key is pairs of statements that allow the identification of an organism. The identification of an organism is by following options at the end of each statement.