The advancement of Information Technology has significantly transformed the manner in which biological information is managed. The British Society for Plant Pathology (BSPP) and the Systematics Association (SA) have played a prominent role in the implementation of electronic methods for handling information. In recognition of their individual achievements, BSPP and SA collaborated to organize a conference on these topics in December 1996 at the University of Kent at Canterbury. This event also marked the 21st anniversary of the Systematics Association's 1975 Symposium on Biological Identification with Computers. This book comprises forty edited and revised papers from the conference, which cover a broad range of topics related to four main themes: the processing of information to generate knowledge, the interpretation of information to generate knowledge, the dissemination of knowledge through education and training, and the storage and dissemination of knowledge. The book includes papers on various subjects such as biological databases, geographic information systems, probabilistic identification systems, and electronic teaching aids. The book is authored by experts from diverse regions including Europe, North and Central America, China, India, and New Zealand. It provides a comprehensive review of the current state of knowledge and serves as an essential resource for plant pathologists, taxonomists, and other biologists who wish to stay informed about the advancements in the field of information technology.