EDIT

    private boolean isRankActivated = true;

    private boolean isAtomisedEpithetsActivated = true;

    private boolean isAuthorshipSectionActivated = true;

    private boolean isNomenclaturalReferenceSectionActivated = true;

    private boolean isNomenclaturalStatusSectionActivated = true;

    private boolean isTypeDesignationSectionActivated = true;

        StringBuffer result = new StringBuffer();

      //the preference value is build like this:

        //<section1>:true;<section2>:false....

        result.append("taxon");

        result.append(":");

        result.append(this.isTaxonSectionActivated);

      return result.toString();

    }

}