Below are a few examples of how GiGL has assisted recorders with data issues. Please get in touch if you think we might be able to help you or your organisation, or if you have projects that you’d like GiGL’s involvement with.
Digitising of paper records
Frequent recorders often have a quantity of notes from field visits. Transferring these paper based records, or other archived data, to a digital format is an important process, enabling the digital storage, mapping, analysis and re-distribution of the content.
The GiGL database requires records to be in a digital format similar to our data entry spreadsheet before they are entered.
Recorders often undertake digitisation themselves using their own software, but GiGL can assist with this task if preferred. We have in-house data entry skills and can work with paper files, digital scans, MapMate, Excel or Recorder files.
Help with validation and verification
Having records in a digital form also helps recorders to validate and verify their own records and make changes when necessary.
Following digitisation, we can return records with preliminary validation. The recorder can then work through the records more easily and verify or edit records as necessary, before they are entered into the GiGL database or used.
Read more about this digitisation, validation and verification in action here
Existing records for your area
As a recorder it may be useful to put your site or current records in context with other available data. What other species have been recorded for your site of interest? Where are the nearest records of your focus species? Are neighbouring sites accessible to the public? Is your site legally protected?
In many cases we can provide recorders with a tailored report that can help answer these, and other, questions. If you or your group would like to find out more about this service please get in touch with a member of the GiGL team – contact us.
Mapping survey sites
We can also digitise maps of survey compartments or habitat areas for surveyors. This can generate site based location data to which species data can be attributed. For example, central grid references for habtiat areas frequently surveyed within a park.
Digitising maps may also help GiGL to keep our habitat data up to date. And mapped data can be used to produce maps to support future survey work or to display site based records.