FW: [Babase] GPS Notes for Babase/General Use
Lacey Maryott
lacey.maryott at duke.edu
Wed Sep 9 10:41:58 EDT 2009
Niki Learn wrote:
> Okay - that is not the kind of "notes" I thought you meant - I do have a
> question though that is relevant to figuring out the notation thing here.
> Yes, the notes in the example you sent refer to demog notes for the tiny
> subgroup of four - that is good. Of course, I won't have September demog
> notes for another month or so to look at and see what all was written there.
> One question I would have on this is whether or not the waypoint name (in
> the GPS) in a case like this is recorded in the demog note - that would be
> helpful on this end to match the two up.
>
Yes, we'll have to wait for the notes from the team to know this, I have
never tried to match them up, as I usually just send this data on to
Catherine.
> For example, yesterday I spent some time matching up GPS points from July
> GPS files to other groups notes from Viola's and Linda's that refered to
> sightings of Ositeti subgroups. These GPS points were named in the other
> group notes for the first few times but after that it would just say
> "waypoint recorded" or not refer to the GPS reading at all. Fortunately the
> GPS points were all clearly named (all beginning OTHOSI, which stands out
> easily from the other notations) so I was able to identify which went to
> each note. But in this example I am not sure what some of these notations
> are intended to mean. I guess the S is for subgroup so if you're right that
> WES is end subgroup then WBS must be beginning subgroup. I don't think I
> would have guessed that without the GPS note (which does not appear in your
> Excel file - can we put notes there?). Of course, I'm not sure what several
> of the other notations mean either since I have not used the GPS data much
> as yet. Are the rest of these all standard? UNK??
>
Yes, the rest of the file is error free, UNK means they don't know what
grove the animals either slept in or will sleep in.
> Thanks - sorry if I confused the situation yesterday.
>
> Niki
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Lacey Maryott [mailto:lacey.maryott at duke.edu]
> Sent: Wednesday, September 09, 2009 10:01 AM
> To: Niki Learn; The Baboon Database Project
> Subject: Re: FW: [Babase] GPS Notes for Babase/General Use
>
> To Be clear, I don't believe these notes in the GPS are to the exclusion
> of handwritten notes.. It is notes to me saying, "These two points were
> with a subgroup, then we went back to the main group." For example,
> (and I sent Niki an attachment off-list)
>
> W0830 04/09/2009 08:30 37 M 287371 9699372 1131.8
> WBS 04/09/2009 09:05 37 M 287978 9697232 1140.5
> W0930 04/09/2009 09:31 37 M 287978 9697230 1142.6
> WES 04/09/2009 09:48 37 M 287980 9697234 1141.4
>
>
> The note to me in this case would be that they were with the subgroup at
> WBS ( i am interpreting this as 'Begin Subgroup'), W0930, and at WES
> (End Subgroup?). There are notes written to me to imply this. We just
> want to be sure that it is clear what these notations mean, or be able
> to integrate the notes associated with the files to let the user know
> what the notations mean, OR come up with a standard system, or all of
> the above.
>
> I really hope this is making more sense now. I certainly didn't mean for
> this to get so complex.
>
> Lacey
>
> Niki Learn wrote:
>
>> Perhaps an example would help? Where can I find one? 'Cause I'm really
>> quite sure the conclusion of the one part of that string (I think this was
>> while you were out for the wedding) was that the notes should still be
>> handwritten, so I'm not sure how that might have gotten lost on the Kenya
>> end since Susan was very involved in the conversation. I think they were
>> supposed to include an S on the GPS (sorry - don't know where I pulled
>>
> psion
>
>> out of...) to denote that it is a subgroup but beyond that the GPS was not
>> supposed to contain further information.
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Lacey Maryott [mailto:lacey.maryott at duke.edu]
>> Sent: Wednesday, September 09, 2009 9:18 AM
>> To: Niki Learn; The Baboon Database Project
>> Subject: Re: FW: [Babase] GPS Notes for Babase/General Use
>>
>> The GPS is what these are collected in. That is where you will find the
>> data, and I send that to Catherine periodically. But yes, as Susan
>> recalls they never came to an agreement as to what to do in the GPS,
>> although the team has been recording these subgroupings as best as
>> possible in the GPS units with notes, and different notations. I don't
>> think the data is lost, it is there, it is just a matter of
>> understanding it, and being able to get it back out somehow. That is
>> what my initial e-mail was in reference too.
>>
>> I hope this clarifies
>> Lacey
>>
>> Niki Learn wrote:
>>
>>
>>> Sure - I tried to look it up but there were so many emails going on then
>>>
> I
>
>>> had trouble tracing the one thread to figure out what the conclusion was.
>>> But it looks like we are both agreed that regardless of what they were
>>>
>>>
>> doing
>>
>>
>>> in the psion they were supposed to be writing down subgroup notes on
>>>
>>>
>> paper.
>>
>>
>>> Wonder how they came to be putting notes in the psion...? Maybe I need
>>>
> to
>
>>> dig into those files to add whatever notes are in them to the subgroup
>>> tables I've been putting together.
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: Catherine Markham [mailto:amarkham at Princeton.EDU]
>>> Sent: Tuesday, September 08, 2009 5:24 PM
>>> To: Niki Learn
>>> Subject: Re: FW: [Babase] GPS Notes for Babase/General Use
>>>
>>> I do get those messages, but thanks for checking.
>>>
>>> As for what was discussed with the subgrouping, I actually thought we
>>> had decided not to ask the team to add the "S" to the Psion (I could be
>>> mistaken, though). Instead, I thought it had been agreed to record
>>> everything by hand on the subgroups datasheets. It is a bit
>>> discouraging to hear now that nothing was ever solidified (I somehow had
>>> a different impression by the end of our email exchanges about all
>>> this). Shoot, certainly would be a real shame to have lost data on a
>>> fission simply because protocols weren't in place.
>>>
>>> I'll be in the lab tomorrow. Maybe we can rethink the exchange about
>>> all this in person then?
>>>
>>>
>>> Niki Learn wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>> Do you get this? Not sure if you are subscribed to both lists... Isn't
>>>> this off?
>>>>
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: babase-bounces at eeblistserv.Princeton.EDU
>>>> [mailto:babase-bounces at eeblistserv.Princeton.EDU] On Behalf Of Lacey
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>> Maryott
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>> Sent: Tuesday, September 08, 2009 4:45 PM
>>>> To: The Baboon Database Project
>>>> Subject: Re: [Babase] GPS Notes for Babase/General Use
>>>>
>>>> Susan said that she spoke with them team while she was there, but
>>>> nothing was ever really solidified in terms of what they are doing or
>>>> how it should be standardized.
>>>>
>>>> Niki Learn wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> I thought from the big discussion in June that field personnel were
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> supposed
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> to include an S (for subgroups) in the psion waypoint name and then
>>>>>
>>>>>
>> write
>>
>>
>>>>> out a normal subgroups note on paper as they normally would... Is that
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> not
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> what is happening?
>>>>>
>>>>> By the way, in addition to the data Catherine and I are compiling on
>>>>> subgroups, I just finished putting together a table showing all
>>>>>
>>>>>
>> sightings
>>
>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> of
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> the Ositeti subgroups in 2009. It is difficult to tell who is in what
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> group
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> at any given time because, though 17 baboons have been sighted in the
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> group
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> at one point or another this year (Jill and 16 males, four with
>>>>>
>>>>>
>> collars),
>>
>>
>>>>> the team typically only lists about 1-3 individuals seen in the group
>>>>>
>>>>>
>> (if
>>
>>
>>>>> any). And there has only been one formal census of one of the
>>>>>
> subgroups
>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> all
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> year. I was hoping to at least sort out which group Lawyer (with the
>>>>>
>>>>>
>> GPS
>>
>>
>>>>> collar) is in but he is often listed alone or with a subset of other
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> males.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> Other times he is seen with Jill and other times with Latin (and
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> supposedly
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> Latin is in a different subgroup from Jill). So maybe he is bouncing
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> around
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> a lot but it would be helpful to know which subgroup he is in at any
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>> given
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>> time so we know which is being tracked on GPS. The groups were more
>>>>> consistently referred to as either Jill's or Latin's in the July data
>>>>>
>>>>>
>> (or
>>
>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> at
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> least the big and small group, the small being Latin's), but not
>>>>>
> always.
>
>>>>> Niki
>>>>>
>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>> From: babase-bounces at eeblistserv.Princeton.EDU
>>>>> [mailto:babase-bounces at eeblistserv.Princeton.EDU] On Behalf Of Lacey
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> Maryott
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> Sent: Tuesday, September 08, 2009 3:35 PM
>>>>> To: The Baboon Database Project
>>>>> Subject: [Babase] GPS Notes for Babase/General Use
>>>>>
>>>>> Just a note about GPS data
>>>>>
>>>>> It is starting to be the case that the GPS files coming back from the
>>>>> field are containing extensive notes about subgrouping, etc.
>>>>> It is becoming clear to both Susan and myself that a good system for
>>>>> 'notes' and documenting this needs to be developed.
>>>>>
>>>>> In addition, we will also need to be sure to include in the babase
>>>>> design for GPS data (whenever that happens) that we will need to have a
>>>>>
>
>
>>>>> 'notes' capability of some sort to include these notes about which
>>>>> subgroups the observers are with, etc.
>>>>>
>>>>> Just something we should be keeping in mind
>>>>> Lacey
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>
>
--
Lacey Maryott
Alberts Lab
Department of Biology
Duke University
ph: 919-660-7306
fax: 919-660-7293
Lacey.Maryott at duke.edu
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