Data Process
Data we hold and use needs to be accurate and reliable. To help us maintian this quality of information, data we receive goes through a process of verification and validation.
Validation
We consider validation to involve the checking for date, grid reference and other typing errors.
Grid references: data is mapped and records are checked against location names, as a spot check.
Dates: are checked for any obvious errors but for import into the Recorder6 database they need to be a specific format so most checks are made during the formatting process. R6 will highlight some date errors during import.
Species: any spelling/typing errors are eliminated during import into R6 as species names are checked against the internal dictionary.
Verification
We consider verification to be the confirmation by an expert that a species has been identified correctly. Normally the county recorder of the relevant taxonomic group does this. Most data that we receive that isn’t from the county recorder gets sent to them to be verified. In some cases, however, it is not possible, or unnecessary, to send what can sometimes be very large amounts of records to county recorders and in the case of some taxa there may be no county recorder available to verify records.
In 2011 we started to classify the records we hold using the following determination types or verification levels:
Incorrect - where an expert has assessed the record and decided it must be wrong. Incorrect records are not used.
Unassessed - records not sent out for verification, or sent out and waiting for response.
Unconfirmed - records have been assessed but about which there is some doubt, such as not enough information.
Considered correct - where the county recorder thinks it is probably correct, or where WWBIC considers it to come from a reliable source. (e.g. for some records there is no county recorder).
Correct - records have been given by county recorder or in the absence of one, other known expert such as museum taxonomist.