1. Systematic attempts to produce internally consistent classifications and taxonomies require theoretical frameworks for deciding between alternatives.
2. Alternate classification and taxonomy schemes are always possible and must be accommodated.
3. The FMC is based on evidence, not authority. All components are justified by reference to the best observational or experimental evidence from the literature, combined with reference to priority when possible, not by undocumented statements from textbooks, the Web, or elsewhere.
4. The FMC is based on evolving evidence and concepts, revisions are based on enforced rules, and
versioning is systematic and historical.
This online version of FMC has the following main parts:
1. Thesaurus, which includes an alphabetical list of all concepts and terms used in FMC to date.
The preferred terms are in bold. Clicking on each term of the Thesaurus will retrieve its definition, reference, list of synonyms, and a comment form that can be used by registered users.
2. References, which includes an alphabetical list of the literature used to construct FMC. Listed references are associated with the definitions included in the Thesaurus, and PubMed links.
3. Search form that can be used to search for terms defined in FMC, included in their definitions, their abbreviations, and references (search by authors).
We strongly recommend to read FMC rules and notations before starting to use the online version.
