Housekeeping

The ideal is that everyone uses their dashboard to check up on all comments and IDs to their observations. Ideally at least once a week, but not less than once a month.

To expedite the process, switch off agreements on your account profile, and then you will only have to process the identification updates (and disagreements).

It is also the best way to learn. But it does mean that one does not get the agreements (pats on the back) for what you do correct, only for what you dont do right.
But it depends on volume. Usually a few hundred observations per month is easy to manage.

But if the taxon managers can also go through their groups.
The should use the curation tool, and check up on anything without a research grade id: so for instance for Erica:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/identify?quality_grade=needs_id%2Ccasual&taxon_id=133387&place_id=138924
or Restionaceae:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/identify?quality_grade=needs_id%2Ccasual&taxon_id=54693&place_id=138924

Posted on December 15, 2020 01:46 PM by outrampsjenny outrampsjenny

Comments

Springcleaning!
Housekeeping is all very well and good and essential. But it is not quite enough. Every now and then we need to do Spring cleaning as well.
For instance, the following checks are important.
((Use these links, but click "My observations" in the grey filter box, so that it will replace the filter with your own observations.))

. 1. Observations without any identifications:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?iconic_taxa=unknown&place_id=113055&subview=grid&user_id=tonyrebelo&verifiable=any
Just make sure that you do not have too many. And remember IDs like Erica or Proteaceae or Poaceae help a lot (but IDs like Plants, Monocots and dicots are pretty useless: rather leave them unidentified in my opinion). There are a few groups that cannot be easily classified: I regularly use this one for trees:: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/trees-of-south-africa (and there are people particularly interested in trees, who use this to help identify our trees: Help ID our trees!

. 2. Make sure that all your observations have a locality. It is quite easy to forget to fill it in.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?geo=false&place_id=any&subview=grid&user_id=tonyrebelo&verifiable=any
In this case you will have to fill in your locality - if you can remember where it was!

. 3. Make sure that all your observations have pictures or sounds. Especially if you are using the app, it is easy to accidentally submit observations that cannot be verified.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?photos=false&place_id=any&subview=grid&user_id=tonyrebelo&verifiable=any
Here you will need to decide if you can find the photographs and add them, or delete the observation, or leave it as a medialess observation.

. 4. Make sure that your Location Accuracy is filled in. This is crucial if your data is to contribute to CREW work, conservation, redlisting or research.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?acc=false&place_id=any&subview=grid&user_id=tonyrebelo&verifiable=any
Please see instructions here for why this is important, and why you must always fill it in: using-inaturalist-data-for-research
While at it, make sure that some of your localities are not too vague: these really should be refined:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?acc_above=5000&place_id=any&subview=grid&user_id=tonyrebelo&verifiable=any
There is hardly ever a good reason where you should not be able to get a locality less accurate than 5km. And please keep these to a minimum.

and (not last, but this is Springcleaning, not a total clearing out)

. 5. Check if any of your identifications are interfering with making an observation research grade.
https://www.inaturalist.org/identifications?current=true&user_id=tonyrebelo&category=maverick (replace my name with yours in the url box)
These are important. You may be wrong, in which case with "withdraw" your ID, or make a revised ID. On the other hand you may be correct, in which case, please add a comment explaining why your ID should be agreed to.

Posted by tonyrebelo over 3 years ago

Now the I cant go to the beach will l have lots of time to spring clean!!

Posted by outrampsjenny over 3 years ago

@tonyrebelo
Can the above links - e.g. no. 4 - Location accuracy:

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?acc=false&place_id=any&subview=grid&user_id=sandraf&verifiable=any

be combined with or pulled into the Bulk Edit facility?

Posted by sandraf over 3 years ago

No unfortunately. Am playing with various ways, but it requires programming and having python on your computer.
It is a pain!!

Posted by tonyrebelo over 3 years ago

Boohaha
Had to try my luck, rather stay clear of the python Tony
Thanks for all the links, bummer, no beach bumming and holi homework....

Posted by sandraf over 3 years ago

@tonyrebelo
Tony thanks for all your help recently. I am going to spend Christmas housekeeping ! Hope you have a good one.

Posted by outrampsjenny over 3 years ago

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