Pinniped census data
General instructions for census data entry
- Census data are grouped into three major regions: ANI, ML-NP (north point),
and ML-AP (southern mainland areas)
- Choose the region and pinniped groups for a default table
- All locations and categories in the census table can then be edited
- You can choose a table with all mainland sites (AP and NP), but do so only if you
include both main point and north point areas
- Do not choose ANI locations then switch to mainland locations, nor vice versa
- If you choose Mainland-North Point (ML-NP), do not include ANI nor main point, etc
- In other words, do not mix sites from two different major regions (unless you choose full ANML)
- In the large box, you can paste an entire Excel table, including a row for
categories and a column for locations
- Use the "sum and strip categories" button as often as you like, but submit only once
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Incomplete censuses
Properly storing and analyzing census data requires that incomplete censuses be clearly flagged. Otherwise, a partial count could be misinterpreted as a full census. The database is designed to accommodate partial censuses, but care must be taken:
- Recall the three major geographic divisions: ANI, ML-NP (north point), and ML-AP (southern mainland areas)
- Your census is complete if you cover all areas within any one of those
- Remove locations and categories that you did not count (with the no-count buttons)
- Never leave a 0 where you did not count
- In addition, if you miss important areas within one of the three regions, check the "incomplete" box above "further comments"
- It is your judgment whether to mark a census incomplete:
if you skip small areas that have trivial numbers of animals (eg ANI 2A, ML-AP P1), you may choose not to mark a census incomplete
- Do not mark incomplete if you omit categories of animals (incompleteness refers only to locations
- You can enter separate censuses for different categories of animals
- For instance, if females and pups were counted everywhere, but males not, then enter one (complete) census for females-pups and a second census (marked incomplete) for males
- Do not enter separate censuses for different sites within one main region
- You can type the word "NULL" in any box to indicate no count
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Shortcut keys for census entry form
- alt-N: move to next row of data, first entry (n for next)
- alt-A: move to next location (a for area)
- alt-X: erase next location
- alt-Y: erase next category (you must be in the category row, though)
- Notice that N, A, X, and Y all advance one position, right or down, then return to the top
- alt-D: move to date
- alt-E: move to data entered by
- alt-S: sum and strip categories
- alt-Z: zero all cells
- alt-T: add two new sites (to add more, rename those two then repeat)
- alt-G: add two new categories
Editing censuses
- When you submit a census to edit, it will appear identical to first time entry
- If you get an error message, then you don't have editing privileges
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