FW: [Babase] GPS Notes for Babase/General Use

Niki Learn nlearn at princeton.edu
Wed Sep 9 10:24:39 EDT 2009


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.  

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?? 

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 




More information about the Babase mailing list