Procedure for Adding Records
Overview
This is the procedure for adding records to the Ohio Survey of Lepidoptera. The Group
Coordinators (GC) are an integral part of this process. When submissions are recieved by
the Data Administrator (DA), they are keyed into a holding area. A review list is printed
for the GC. The GC reviews the list for valid species, county, and date collected (based on
experience) and marks the records as accepted, rejected, or puts them on hold. The
list is returned to the DA who processes the records accordingly.
Details
Input source
Submitters of records will be encouraged to use the Data Input Form (Exhibit A). Other input
is acceptable if needed elements are present and readable by the judgement of the DA.
Required Information:
- Submitter
- Collection - where the specimen can be found
- Genus & species (also subspecies if any)
- County where collected
- Date - mm/dd/yy format. If range of dates use only the last (ending) date
Optional Information:
- Collector/Photographer - Normally this information is required, but for databasing
we list it as "optional" because it may not be available for some older collections.
Whenever known it should be included.
- Check List # - This is in addition to genus and species, and requires the submitter
to get a current list of numbers and names from the DA (mainly for large volume of input).
- Count - specimens by sex or unsexed, or, if no count, assume one specimen unsexed
- Type - if blank assumes actual specimen; P = Photo, L = Literature
- Location - Description of area where found. Where latitude and longitude are known,
this is indicated by dd-mm-ss X dd-mm-ss (degrees-minutes-seconds).
- Comment - collector comments
The DA will input from paper the information described above.
For people wanting to submit data via a computer file, a review by the DA of that particular
situation will be done to determine the feasibility of that process. If found reasonable, that
data would be placed in the hold area to be reviewed by GC's.
Reports
After input into the system, the GC Review Report (Exhibit B) would be printed, one for each
GC. For multiple GC's, a GC will be selected to send the report to, and that GC will forward
it to the next GC. The records contain the date the Review Record is printed; this stops them
from normally being printed again and allows the tracing of material out for review.
The GC reviews the records for valid species, county, and date collected (based on experience)
and marks them either rejected or on hold. A record with no mark assumes acceptance by the GC.
The GC initials and dates the first page of the report. The list is returned to the DA who marks
the records and processes them accordingly.
The normally acceptable time for a GC to respond to a Review Report is approximately four weeks.
A Review Report for a GC that was lost or not responded to in a timely manner could be reprinted
using the Review Report date.
A Summary Report (Exhibit C) could be given to GC's, this alerting them to material they owe
the DA.
Returns from GC
The Review Report is returned to the DA who marks the records accordingly. The accepted items
move to the master database, the rejected and on hold items are held for a possible future
list. The DA keeps the marked Review Report on file.
Maintaining the Check List Information
Currently the Check List contains:
- Check List # - based on Hodges
- Genus
- Species
- Subspecies
- Common Name
- plus other data (revised yes/no, author, year)
Maintenance of names, check list #, etc, can be initiated by the GC and implemented by the DA.
There is a report that can show the GC the check list so that changes can be indicated.
Miscellaneous
The system tracks and maintains the following:
- what families or groups of species each GC is responsible for
- the dates of input into the system
- date review lists printed for GC's are kept in the system (DB)
- for items rejected by the GC - these will be deleted in approximately one year
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