All of my moth records have been submitted directly with the various VC Recorders. VC55 beetle records have been shared with the County Recorder, and most of the VC55 bugs have been similarly shared. Beyond that, records of odd bits from VC55 have been submitted via NatureSpot but there is plenty of scope for me to increase my record sharing.
I have always felt that providing records via the recognised county authority (ie the County Recorder for whatever order) is best. Having contact and dialogue with your County Recorder is invaluable, both ways. You know your records are appreciated and being put to use, and you build a rapport which creates trust and confidence in your records and recording capability. I have not thought about it too much in a National context until now. I am sure that my moth records (certainly from VC55) have been onwardly submitted to relevant National recording schemes, but I am not so convinced that it fully works in reverse. Up until know I have been reticent to use National platforms, notably iRecord, as I don't know who (if anyone) is making use of the record and if they get shared back to the County Recorders. I'm also aware that lots of records sit on there in limbo awaiting verification, and recorders don't necessarly get timely or perhaps any feedback. Maybe it's all just down to me being, dare I say it, old fashioned!
What was clear from both the moth and beetle conferences I attended is that there is a general push from Recording Scheme organisers for recorders to use iRecord. I had only submitted one record directly via this platform, but everything that is put onto NatureSpot is sucked through to it as it uses the same database platform and protocols. So despite only having directly submitted one record, I am (just) within the top 100 iRecorders in the UK by species.
Stenus bimaculatus, Flagham Fen, Costwolds 23/03/2018 - submitted to iRecord
I've decided I really should start submitting records for everything that is out of VC55 and not a moth, as even if they are not immediately ratified and utilised they are there if needed whereas they are of absolutley no use sitting on my MapMate purely as a personal record. I will continue to supply VC55 records either directly to the relevant Recorder or NatureSpot. I am conscious of the risk of record duplication, but the odd moth or beetle will go on NatureSpot as well as direct submission as there is value in adding to the photographic resource for the VC. Either way I will certainly try to be more methodical this year and get casual records submitted as I go.
Getting older records onto iRecord will be more ad hoc. I put a couple on last night, mainly to remind myself of how the system works. I'll get a few more on before this year's activity properly kicks in.
Note you can see my last records submitted via NatureSpot on there too.
I would be interested to hear how others approach their record submission, and thoughts/experiences with iRecord. Give me a warm feeling that I will not be wasting my time.
I've realised that over the last few weeks, despite stating I would not be setting myself any 2020 objectives, I've managed to inadvertently talk myself into a few personal recording challenges for the year:
- increase my personal records on MapMate to 84000 by end 2020
- have an updated look at my garden molluscs - anything new?
- target leafmining moths
- increase my vascular plant list by actively trying to add c50 common VC55 species
- make use of newly acquired literature / keys
- increase my garden beetle list
- submit more records, both locally and Nationally, methodically
9 comments:
I've been switching how I do things for a while but have finally decided (i hope) on a plan. I've dabbled with MapMate and got all my beetle records on there but I just don't like it! Find it clunky and not user friendly. I had been doubling up and also adding them to iRecord plus all my moth data and other random (mainly inverts) stuff. My moth CR picks up all my moths of iRecord so moth data will continue to go on there. Beetle data is going in a spreadsheet and then each winter when I've finished dissections I will upload a year's worth to iRecord. Other stuff gets added on an ad hoc basis. I'm also trying to learn to use QGIS so that I can attempt some VC29 beetle mapping ideas. Fun fun fun!!
Interesting. I've been using MapMate for so long that I'll not be able to ditch it, but actually for eg garden moth recs I can enter 100+ very quickly (ie same date, site, method etc). Casual records can be a pain either way.
How are you 'uploading' a year's worth of records to iRecord - is there an import function or do you just mean entering all in one go?
So the iRecord user guide outlines a bulk CSV upload option see p62 https://www.brc.ac.uk/irecord/sites/default/files/guides/irecord-training_2019-v3.0-IMPORTS.pdf
Not tried it yet!!
Ah, I should have a look at the guide!
Loving the list of projects that have just ‘magicked up’ Skev. Always the best ones!
Yes, must stop talking to myself whilst typing Steve 😀
Although the presence of national recording schemes on iRecord is increasing rapidly, sadly many taxa records submitted still languish without any attention. I can understand both why some scheme co-ordinators are reluctant to embrace iRecord (resources, data quality - not a valid argument, that's what verification is for) and some recorders ("Is there any point if no-one looks at my records?"). VC55 remains unique in the existence of NatureSpot - which is tragic, as it provides a vision of what iRecord could have been.
Agree Alan. Whilst most of the Coleoptera scheme organisers are active, committed and want data, a lot of them have taken on the task and inherited a massive iRecord backlog to start. It definitely seems that there is not a big enough pool of verifyers authorised/permitted to help out Nationally.
There's a guy that I deal with who uploads several thousand records to NBN roughly twice yearly, he's basically a one-man LERC and general unsung hero. He has a great many things to say about irecord, none of them very good. He worries (ie 'rants') about how the fools out there blithely upload their data onto a platform that actively discourages data sharing, that ties you with ridiculous contracts and essentially has you over a barrel should you want/require datasets from them. I don't know the ins and outs, but he certainly does. And he hates irecord and its programmers. Just sayin is all...
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