1. How to Verify a Record in EDDMapS

2. Duties of Verifiers
A verifier is a person or persons who have identification skills for particular taxa and are willing to verify occurrence records that are submitted to EDDMapS. Ideally, there will be many experts/professionals in each region, state, and/or county who are willing to be part of a network to verify records, each serving to identify species with which they are familiar, those which may be relevant to their interests or research, and/or near by their geographic location. Verifiers are provided with contact information for the reporters, where possible, and are encouraged to follow-up where needed to identify the reported subject.

3. Report Notification
Every record entered into EDDMapS goes in the database as unverified until a verifier reviews it. When a report is submitted, an is automatically generated and sent to the assigned verifiers. Verifiers can sign up for notifications as instant s (one record per ) or as digests (scheduled s with all of the reports submitted in four-hour intervals).

4. Report Notification Login to www.eddmaps.org Click on My EDDMapS
Click on Edit Profile
Scroll to the bottom and select your Preferences; click Edit Profile

5. Accessing Records for Review
Records Review 2 1 3 2
Go to
Click on My EDDMapS
Click on Review Records
Click Review Records Online to view and access all records available for review
Click View Record to review this individual record

6. Review Records Page
Filter by Species Type, first report in county, first report by user, or reports with images
Click on the heading or up/down arrows to sort A-Z (newest/oldest) or Z-A (oldest/newest) by different fields
Review Status lets you and other verifiers know the last status update on the record based on verifier or reporter actions.
Use Search feature to limit by Species, Location, Date Entered, or Reporter
Click on an ID Number to access individual records for review

7. Review Records Page
View Your Recently Reviewed Records – Allows a verifier to access the records they recently reviewed
View All Recently Reviewed Records – Allows a verifier to access records any verifier has recently reviewed
View All Recently Reviewed but not Public records – Allows a verifier to access records that were reviewed but not released to the public (often for legal or verification reasons).
View Deleted Records – Allows a verifier to view records that were deleted
View Unable to be Confirmed Records – Allows a verifier to access records marked as “Unable to be Confirmed” for re-evaluation
Clear Filters – Removes all filters applied to data set

8. Review Record Evaluate the information provided by the reporter
Species
Location (State/County and Google map)
Reporter Name
Observation Date
Additional Information (e.g. Habitat, Infested Area, Locality, etc.)
– Only provided on the Review Record page, use to contact the reporter if additional information is needed to verify record
View images provided - Click on the images to make them larger to view characteristics
Options below Map (if record has geographic shape) begins the review process

9. Reviewer Options
View Record Review History/Discussion – Shows messages, actions, and information about the review process for the record
Upload Additional Images – Allows the verifier to upload images relevant to the record, if they have visited the site or if the reporter sent them images directly
Defer – Allows the verifier to set up an automatic reminder to revisit the record at a later date
Request Images – Allows the verifier to automatically the reporter to request images be added to the report
Request Sample – Allows the verifier to request a sample sent to a partner lab for diagnostic testing
Request Additional Info – Allows the verifier to send a message to the reporter to ask questions or seek additional information relevant to the report
Review and Release – Opens the form for the verifier to review the record and release it to the public once submitted
Review and Don’t Release – Opens the form for the verifier to review the record but NOT release it to the public once submitted

10. Review Record - History
Record Review History/Discussion
Includes recent actions by all verifiers
Includes messages and status at time of action
Allows verifiers to see which verifiers have taken actions
Date and time stamps all actions

11. Review Record - Images Request Additional Images
Verifier Uploading Images
Reporters will be sent a link to edit the record
When the reporter uploads (more) images, the verifier that sent the request will be notified via that new images were added
If the verifier has images that they can add to the record (either by visiting the location and taking pictures or being sent the pictures either by the reporter or by another party), they can directly upload images relevant to the record

12. Review Record - Defer
Verifiers can use “Defer” to set a reminder to come back to the report at another date
This is useful if a planned visit to the location will occur later in the season or if the report came at a time of year when identification would be difficult
An to the will be sent to the address on file with a link to the record and any message entered.

13. Review Record - Sample Request Sample - Lab Sample Request Email
Request a Sample will only be an option for certain species and regions
Labs/Protocols are species specific and/or geographically bound and so options may change by those parameters
Verifier can specify the lab/protocol and an will be sent to the reporter with instructions
The will contain information about the sampling and the links within will direct the reporter on the step-by-step process.

14. Review Record – Additional Info
Verifiers can use the review system to send a message directly to the reporter, to the address associated with their EDDMapS account
The action, though not the message, will also be documented in the Review History
The reporter’s reply to the message will be sent directly to the verifier

15. Review Record – Released vs Not Released
Review and Release
Review and Don’t Release
Reviewed
Removes the report from the review queue
Still accessible through Recently Reviewed records links on Review Records page
Released
Record is publicly available, will show up on maps, in downloads, etc.
Reviewed
Removes the report from the review queue
Still accessible through Recently Reviewed records links on Review Records page
Not Released
Will not show up on maps, downloads, etc.
Allows reviewers time to begin control measures, alert programs leaders, etc. without the report sitting in the review queue indefinitely
Contains options for incorrect identification and removal

16. Review Record – Review Form
Reviewed by - Enter your name, if it is absent
Verification Method – How record was verified
Identified By – Enter name of expert if outside help was received for identification
Identification Date – Date identification was made
Identification Credibility – Certainty of identification
Report Source ID – Optional field to denote the reporter’s affiliation or the source of the record
Private – Selecting “Yes” will omit the coordinates from the public record and record will only be displayed/downloaded as a county-level occurrence
Reviewer Comments (Optional)
Click Submit when completed

17. Review Record – Review Form
Verification Method
Photographs – should be present or added to the report
Expertise is the known (or expected) level of knowledge or training that the reporter has and the verifier is basing their determination on this
Specimens – Sample of the report subject has been sent to or collected by the verifier and evaluated in person
Voucher Specimen/Photographs – Samples or photographs which have been preserved in a herbarium or museum and evaluated
Diagnostic Lab Sample – A sample was sent to a diagnostic lab for positive identification
Other – A method not described above; can be documented in the reviewer comments
How the identification of the subject of the report was determined by the verifier

18. Review Record – Identification Credibility
Review and Release
Review and Don’t Release
Possible – Lowest level of confidence
Credible – Very likely based on images, information, etc.
Negative – Not a correct identification, want to keep the record as “Surveyed for species and wasn’t observed”
Verified – Highest level of confidence (Voucher/Museum specimen submitted, Expert reporter with images, etc.)
Change Subject – Incorrect original identification, but can be corrected to another invasive species (e.g., reported as Russian thistle but is actually spotted knapweed)
Same as Reviewed and Released, plus:
Delete – Deletes the record from the database (Verifiers must comment why the record was removed for the reporter’s notification )
Unable to Confirm – Identification but cannot be confirmed as reported; nor do you want to delete the report at this time

19. Review Record – Report Source
Optional
Allows the verifier to assign the report to a particular category of ownership
Defaults to General Public for most reports

20. Review Record – Finishing
Private – Displays the record to the public at only a county level; coordinate are hidden
Reviewer comments – Optional comments to include with verification
Submit – removes report from review queue

21. Review Record – Bulk Verify
Use with great caution
While not generally recommended, we have included the option for verifiers to review multiple records at one time.
This is primarily used to “check off” reports from other verifiers and experts.
Click on the box to the left of the record ID number to select records for bulk review

22. Review Record – Bulk Verify
Evaluate available information
Species
Images – Hover the mouse cursor over image icons to preview
Reporter – Click on the reporter name to view contact information
Location
Observation Date
Click on the boxes to the left of the ID to select the records you want to bulk verify
Select the Identification Credibility , Report Source ID, and fill in any Comments (Optional)
Select if records should be Released and/or Private
Click Submit

23. Review Records – Recently Reviewed
Your Recently Reviewed
All Recently Reviewed
Shows all records that have been verified by you
You can click on the records and view the records as desired
At the bottom of the record is a “Contest Review” button, this removes the “verified” status and allows you to send the report back through the verification process
Shows all records that conform to your verifier parameters that have been verified by any verifier
You can click on the records and view the records as desired
At the bottom of the record is a “Contest Review” button, this removes the verified status allows you to send the report back through the verification process

24. Review Records – Reviewed, Not Public
Shows records that have been reviewed, but have not been released to the public
Allows for quick locating of records of this status to release later

25. Review Records – Deleted Records
Deleted Records Page
Clicking on an individual record will pull up a view of the record
Individual Deleted Record

26. Review Records – Unable to be Confirmed
Shows records that have been reviewed, but been determined to be Unable to be Confirmed by a verifier
Allows for quick locating of records of this status to reviewed and re-evaluated later if more information becomes available

27. Additional Information
August 2018
Additional Information
For any questions or problems contact:
Chuck Bargeron
Rebekah Wallace
Karan Rawlins
or call