Quick question for everyone Is it better to prioritize more species inless observations(less duplicates) , or more observations and similar number of species(more duplicates). Usually when uploading my first 100 observations I end up with 40-60 species through 100 obs. However, today I ended up wit…

As far as quantity is concerned, I believe either approach is fine. But are you sure you’re asking yourself the right question(s)? Everyone has a different way of using iNat, but without wanting to judge anyone, I personally am not a great fan of the quantity approach. The question I always ask myse…

I’m sure others will put it better, but i think either is fine. Its OK to have 100 different species in 100 observations, as well as 100 observations of a single species (e.g. daily tracking of a particular organism through various stages of development). Just keep these things in mind: Photos of …

Do whatever you find the most fun. Of course researchers value your contributions. If you are enjoying yourself, you will spend more time observing, more time in nature, and will likely continue to contribute in the future. Don’t let yourself burn out by fretting over details, unless that’s what you…

More species is more likely to be valuable. Lots of observations of the same species are probably going to be redundant, especially if they are close to one another.

At the first you should answer to the main question of Inat) “What do I want to reach here?” And only after the answer you can select your way to be productive. It is ok to collect new species. It is ok to map every bush or flower in some area. It is ok to make observation on a feeder outside you…

It’s entirely up to you and what you find more interesting//enjoyable/personally useful. Each method has its advantages and uses for others.

I agree with the main consensus here - do what you enjoy most. Anyways noone can really predict what the data might be used for… and thus I do not agree with the sentiment that to observing more species will always be best. For example, at one point during corona curfews I started a backyard projec…

Animals and plants move around. They grow, develop, reproduce. Posting common species X in location Y every year has a lot of value for indicating that it’s still present. Posting X in Y at many dates within each year tells about phenology (what happens when, e.g. flowering or fruiting). Posting…

As others said do what you enjoy. But I will share my priorities: In a new place I have never been, try to get one of every species. I don’t repeat a species too many times unless there’s something unusual about it or i ‘reset’ my inventory (like if there are two swamps i want to inventory that are…

I have a question in relation to this. If I find 17 patches of burdock in one day on a trail, 7 in one small area, 5 in another and the rest scattered, each patch being multiple plants. Is it all one observation? How do you deal with it?

Probably not one observation, but it is really up to you. In general, the best practice is for each observation to have one individual focal organism. If you want to make an observation of an individual from each patch, that is up to you. Most people probably wouldn’t, but if you have a specific rea…

Inat Productivity

General

Topic		Replies	Views
Excessive observing? General	86	7419	February 13, 2024
Observing Every Organism - Is it Beneficial? General	25	1297	July 15, 2024
Concern about # of observations General	23	2219	August 19, 2023
How can I maximise my number of observations? General	63	3697	May 19, 2023
Prioritising certain species to observe General	23	1295	December 10, 2019

Inat Productivity

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