1 (edited by namwebs 15-06-2017 10:26:09)

Topic: How to enter repeat records on multiple (irregular) dates?

Hi,

I need to set up a system (for birds) whereby a nest may be visited several times and records of eggs/young entered at different dates. I thought I could set the static info which only needs to be recorded once (location, species, habitat, nest details etc) as the Sample and the (dynamic) details about the nest content and parent behaviour as the Occurrence but I can't work out how to cater for multiple records on different (custom) dates. Something like the weekly counts form but more flexible. Is it possible to do this using an existing prebuilt form?

Thanks for any pointers, Alice

2

Re: How to enter repeat records on multiple (irregular) dates?

Hi Alice,

Indicia stores dates in the sample. You can have nested samples, ie. sample, sub-sample then occurrence. I think this is more typically used to store records with a general location at the sample level and more accurate locations at the sub-sample. I see no reason why this could not be applied to dates as well. (The top level sample could contain a date range.) Note that species is recorded in the occurrence, not the sample. I'm not aware of a pre-built form to support this.

A better solution might to be to add nest sites to the location table. You could use location attributes to save habitat and nest details. Then, when repeat visits are made, you make a normal sample-occurrence record and, in the sample, store a reference to the location.

You might be able to achieve this with the 'Data Entry Form > Enter a Location' pre-built form to create the locations. The 'Data Entry Form > Enter a single record or list of records' form then has controls
  [location autocomplete] - an autocomplete control for picking a stored location. A spatial reference is still required.
  [location select] - a select control for picking a stored location. A spatial reference is still required.
  [location map] - combines location select, map and spatial reference controls for recording only at stored locations.

I have used this principle once, some time ago, but I haven't tried it with the pre-built forms.

Regards,
Jim Bacon.

3

Re: How to enter repeat records on multiple (irregular) dates?

Thanks, Jim, I will give it a try.

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Re: How to enter repeat records on multiple (irregular) dates?

I found a way which seems to be simple and keeps the occurrence data together with the sample data in the way I (think I) want it.

I added a date field as a custom occurrence attribute and then used the 'Data Entry Form > Enter a single record or list of records' form, passing a taxon ID in the URL, and the setting "Only allow entry of multiple occurences using a grid'. With the Extra species set to be the same as the first one (Birds, in my case) it is possible to add the same species again as mnay times as you want, with a different date and different occurrence attributes (number of eggs, young, parental activity etc). The occurrences are associated with the sample, which has the custom sample attributes I need (nest height, description, habitat etc)

It seems to work as I need.

Thanks for your assistance.

Alice