Can taxometric procedures be used to distinguish types (species, latent classes, taxa) from continua (dimensions, latent traits, factors); and, if so, how? Aimed at demystifying this process, Waller and Meehl unpack Meehl's work on the MAXCOV-HITMAX procedure to reveal the underlying rationale of MAXCOV in simple terms and show how this technique can be profitably used in a variety of disciplines by researchers in their taxonomic work.

Introduction
Carving Nature at Its Joints
Defining Nature¿s Joints
Alternative Meanings of Taxon
Mathematical Foundations of Multivariate Taxometrics
MAXEIG-HITMAX
A Multivariate Generalization of MAXCOV
Factor Analytic Techniques for Distinguishing Types from Continua
L-Mode
Factor Analytic Techniques for Distinguishing Types from Continua
Q-Factor Analysis
Taxometrics in Scientific Methodology