Observation-guide
What makes a biodiversity observation useful?
A species name does not tell the whole story. Place, date and method help explain what was recorded and connect it with later visits.
Place the observation within a visit
Imagine finding a butterfly and returning to the same place a week later. To keep both observations without mixing them, use a record for each visit: **place, date and, when available, time and duration**. This is a simple adaptation of the GBIF guide, which distinguishes a sampling event from its associated organism records. Keep the site identifier consistent on repeat visits. Coordinates need their reference system; do not turn an approximate location into a supposedly exact point. [5448]
Describe how you obtained the information
Add a short account of the method actually used: for instance, visual observation along a route, offered as a recording example rather than a universal protocol. A method name does not replace its details. The GBIF guide separates protocol names, descriptions and references so that others can interpret or repeat the work. If you followed a particular programme, retain its name and version or reference; if you changed the procedure, describe the change. The intended method should not be confused with what you actually did. [5448]
Identify without adding false precision
Record the most precise identification you can support, without forcing a species-level name. GBIF links each organism record to its event and uses a separate identifier, a scientific name and the nature of the record, such as human observation. In your notebook, you can retain this distinction between visit and finding, along with notes or images you want to review later. This outline helps organise information; it neither guarantees a correct identification nor makes your notebook a dataset ready for publication in GBIF. [5448]
Sources and method
This story synthesises the references below and separates possible observations from conclusions that would need more evidence. It does not present original FaunaGuide fieldwork or replace expert identification.
- Guide for publishing biological survey and monitoring data — 5.3.2. Site locality The geographic location and extent of each survey site should be reported. Five terms are currently recommended for Event datasets: Location ID: a unique identifier for each survey site should be shared in dwc:locationID. If a site is