Verifying moth records in Berkshire: 2 - database procedures

See also 1 - verification overview >>

Here is an outline of the process I use to help check incoming records, for those interested in the details of data management (last updated November 2017, and now VERY out of line with current practice, but the principles are similar). [Apologies: this may not all make sense if you are not familiar with Access databases in general and iRecord or MapMate in particular!]

1. Prior to 2015 or so, the incoming records were imported into a Microsoft Access database for checking, as described below. However, most checks can now be done more easwily within iRecord, and that is now the usual practice. What follows gives an idea of the types of check that are carried out.

2. Database queries are used to select all the new records from the recorder in question. If they have arrived via iRecord they may already have a verification added, which I can double-check in the database.

3. The resulting query shows the incoming records (in full detail including date, location, recorder and determiner) and adds in various fields based on data already in the database, for comparison:

• • A column ('Verification' in the figure below) is included flagging those species that are known to be hard to identify, or that get frequently confused.

  • A column ('AllRecords') is included showing how many previous records the database holds for each incoming species record

  • A column ('10kmRecords') is included showing how many previous records there have been for each incoming species in the recorded 10km square for each incoming record

  • A column ('WeekRecords') is included showing how many previous records there have been for each incoming species in the week recorded for each incoming record

  • A column ('Status') is added showing which incoming species are listed as Nationally Scarce, Red Data Book, Biodiversity Action Plan Priority

  • There is also an empty column ('MH comment') into which my comments can be added:

4. My usual practice is then:

• • I first check those species that are flagged (in 'Verification') as being hard to identify - this will pick up any species that need dissection; if the record shows that they have been dissected that's fine, if not a comment to this effect will be added to the blank column.

  • I then sort the records in order of how many previous records there have been for each species. This allows me to check for records of species rarely found in Berkshire, and thus add comments querying the record if I think more evidence is needed, or if it is acceptable then I can highlight that it is a good record.

  • I then scan through the Nationally Scarce etc. species, although this is not usually as informative as the number of previous records, since some nationally scarce species are common in Berks and vice versa.

  • I then sort by records per 10km square - this is usually only used to highlight records that are new for a particular 10km square so I can feed that back to the recorder, but it occasionally shows up records that need further investigation.

  • I then run a report that shows the flight-period (phenology) of the incoming records against the phenology of all the records already on the database for each species - I've found that phenology checking is very hard to do via numerical analysis, but this visual presentation makes it much easier to pick out records that are from unusual times of year:

5. Having added comments for all species that either need to be queried, or have been highlighted as being significant records, I then run a query that outputs a single column summarising all records that now have an entry in the 'MH comment' field. This is pasted into an email and sent back to the original recorder to get their response to any queries:

This procedure isn't foolproof of course, but it does help check through large numbers of records in a reasonably short time. Further checks are carried out as and when particular issues are raised, and queries can be raised by other members of the Moth Group.