def METHOD_NAME(request, url, auth):
    with open(auth, 'r') as authfile:
        auth_stuff = json.load(authfile)
    r = requests.request('POST',
                         url,
                         params={"author_name": auth_stuff["author_name"],
                                 "author_email": auth_stuff["author_email"],
                                 "auth_token": auth_stuff["auth_token"]},
                         data=request,
                         headers={'Content-type': 'application/json'},
                         allow_redirects=True)
    r.raise_for_status()
    # see https://github.com/OpenTreeOfLife/germinator/wiki/Taxonomic-service-for-adding-new-taxa
    return r.json()