The iRecord online recording system aims to support the collection and verification of biological records, and has the ability to pass records swiftly to the NBN to be shared via the NBN Gateway.
There are several routes that data can take though, depending on the verification process that is needed.
Verifiers checking records on behalf of recording schemes can choose to forward records direct to the NBN Gateway once verified, or they may choose to download the data to incorporate into their recording scheme database, from where it can be submitted to the NBN Gateway as part of the full recording scheme dataset.
For projects that wish to use automated validation, records that pass the checks can be updated direct to the NBN Gateway every few months, via the Biological Records Centre.
iRecord always encourages participating recording schemes to pass records to the NBN Gateway, but we recognise that verification is an important part of this process, and there is flexibility in the system to ensure that the data flow can mesh with the needs of the recording schemes undertaking the verification.
Section 3 of the iRecord terms and conditions state that: “Verified observations will be made available via the NBN Gateway. iRecord data will be collated alongside other data and made available via the NBN Gateway by the relevant national recording scheme, or will be provided directly via the NBN Gateway in a dataset administered by the Biological Records Centre and/or the relevant national recording scheme. If you do not want your observations to be made available in this way, please do not submit them.”
It is largely the case that iRecord records are made available via the NBN Gateway, but as there are various steps in the process, and the responsibility to submit falls onto different people, we can’t guarantee that all records will be passed on (not least because there aren’t recording schemes and verifiers for all species groups), nor that they will be passed on within a certain time limit. Individual recorders have the ability to download their own records and pass them on via other routes if needed.
As everyone in the NBN is aware, data flow issues can be complicated, and the NBN is focusing on this topic at the moment as part of its Action Plan. We hope to have a more fully integrated system as we move forward.
Written by Martin Harvey and Ella Vogel
The latest news from iRecord is that a new mobile app is now available (for Android and Apple devices). This allows any species to be recorded in the field and subsequently sent to the iRecord database for verification as normal.