Do you notice any biases when adding IDs to unknowns?

General
1

(sorry, I’m not sure about the category)

Basically, when you identify unknowns, do you ever have a bias as to what groups you usually add identifications to?

1 Like
2

I do, but mostly because I only id what I’m pretty good at.

8 Likes
3

Yes. My inherent bias of the extent of my knowledge.
But imo this is bit of a unnecessary discussion.

5 Likes
4

I am very biased in my ids for others!
I do not id much, usually I stay local.
When I have wandered into unknowns I look for older observations, bump them up as I can and try to leave a note about having at least a broad id of plant or bird is going to bring more eyes than " life" or “unknown” or the “something” I see from time to time.

3 Likes
5

Of course. I identify taxa I can recognize. Sometimes I identify by location.

2 Likes
6

For me, I’ve noticed that most of the unknowns I try to identify come from new users, folks having 200 or fewer observations, who haven’t yet learned that they need to add an initial ID.

4 Likes
7

Am I misunderstanding the use of this word? I attribute unfairness to the word “bias” and I do not think limiting one’s identifications to one’s area of knowledge is inherently unfair but rather following guidelines.

Or by groups could you also mean other groups that are not taxonomic?

Sorry, I am not clear what is being asked I think.

6 Likes
8

In social situations, bias does have a negative connotation; judging by poor criteria and harming someone as a result. In analysis of scientific data, the term is much more neutral. It refers to anything that pushes the result away from what you’d expect, from what’s typical, and thus causes potentially misleading results. This often involves humans unconsciously selecting specimens or situations for study and therefore getting unrepresentative results, but it can refer to the way a water current sorts asymmetrical objects for how bees select flowers.

6 Likes
9

And I don’t think they know about using the “Suggest An Identification” tab, even some users with hundreds of obs.

The CV knows what it is a fair amount of the time.

5 Likes
10

I only ID unknowns for locations I’m subscribed to (Hardin Co and Tyler Co, TX) and if I’m IDing obs in a project for a park/preserve (example: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/martin-dies-jr-state-park)

11

I assume that you are meaning to ask if there’s a bias of groups that are labelled as unknown in the first place?

If that is the case then I notice that the things I mostly notice as being labelled unknown, or perhaps just as “life”, are weird slimy things, dots and other marks on leaves, miscellaneous organic matter on beaches, galls, microscopy images of cells.

If you’re meaning the interpretation that most people have gone with, then I know plants, so I ID plants. Otherwise I’ll be putting something down as “animalia” or “fungus” or something wide like that, just to get it on people’s radar that otherwise wouldn’t see it.

4 Likes
12

Multiple. As others already mentioned, I only add IDs I am reasonably confident of and so should everybody, IMO.
But apart from that, I also don’t identify unknowns outside Europe because then there’s just too much stuff I’d have to skip due to lacking knowledge. (And Europe has more than enough to keep me busy). I also don’t identify observations where the observer has seemingly not put any effort into. For example, “hidden object pictures” that could have easily been cropped, observations of trees from far away, etc.

2 Likes
13

I am identifying more then 200 unknown obs per day.

  • i am trying to id at least closest taxa
  • if i dont have any idea, for example i have suspect if its a dicot or mono i id as angiospermae
  • if there is a life sign, or multiple lifeform in one scene, such as fungi on a leaf etc. I id as “life” and hope for the observer to show us a direction
  • i am marking non wild observations, as “not wild” it is also helpful
  • i also return if anyone dont agree my id’ and change it.
  • i use cv also if its look very alike, but leave a note about that as “CV” but not species level, only up level because observer can approve without understanding uncertainity, i dont want CV identifications progress into RG without an expert view.
  • i use “random” criteria at the Identify section not to get unhappy comments about my identifications, some users like @tony_rebelo does not like broad and up level identifications for their personal reasons. If you dont choose random, you can id same user for a long period and thus can be interpreted as some personal thing. Its a hard job. Ive got a lot of attacking comments like: “best you can do is life??? Come ooon you can do better” . This people think identification is a full time paid job. :) even some of them blocked me.
  • I dont id sound obs, since i dont use earphone.
  • I usually dont id casual obs, but if i am in a good mood and time, i id them too.
  • sometimes i tag @nikibfrost @peakaytea and some others. Because they are also very experienced about unknowns.

Thats all :) i hope there will be more user like you because unknown obs increasing everyday.

4 Likes
14

Blocked for adding a broad ID?
That is against iNat guidelines.
But, their loss!

1 Like
15

Yes unfortunatelly, i have experienced worser than that :) somebody taking it personally.

16

If the comments or private messages are offensive you can flag them.
First rule of iNat is be kind, presume others have good intentions - that works both ways.

17

The second interpretation.

18

In the question you’re asking, having no bias would mean that someone would identify every unknown they come across. I don’t expect anyone to have universal expertise like that, do you, nousernameavailable?

1 Like
19

Sounds like you’re doing a great job.

1 Like