Check eBird Checklist

A comprehensive toolkit for eBird checklist reviewers to automatically identify and flag potentially problematic checklists that may violate eBird data quality guidelines.

Overview

According to the eBird Volunteer Roles and Expectations, eBird checklist reviewers are responsible for evaluating entire checklists to verify accuracy and ensure compliance with eBird data quality standards. This package provides automated tools to identify checklists that may require manual review, making the reviewer's job more efficient and systematic.

Features

• Automated Checklist Analysis: Process eBird Basic Dataset (EBD) files to identify potentially problematic checklists
• Multiple Data Quality Checks: 17 different automated checks covering protocol errors, date/time issues, distance problems, and more
• Interactive Shiny Web App: User-friendly interface for uploading data and customizing analysis parameters
• Batch Processing: Handle large datasets efficiently with R scripts
• Email Templates: Pre-written email templates for communicating with eBird users about checklist issues
• Export Capabilities: Generate spreadsheets for tracking review progress

Components

1. Quarto Document (check-ebird-checklist.qmd)

• Purpose: Comprehensive analysis workflow and documentation Author: Raphaël Nussbaumer
• Features:
  • Detailed explanations of each data quality check
  • Data visualization for exploring checklist patterns
  • Statistical analysis of flagged checklists
  • Email template generation for user communication
• Output: Interactive HTML report with data tables and visualizations

2. Shiny Web App (shiny/)

• Purpose: Web-based interface for non-R users
• Author: Linus Blomqvist
• Features:
  • Upload EBD data files
  • Adjust thresholds and select checks interactively
  • Real-time results preview
  • Download flagged checklists as CSV
• Demo: Live app

3. R Function (shiny/check_ebird_checklists_fcn.R)

• Purpose: Core analysis engine with all quality checks
• Author: Linus Blomqvist
• Features:
  • Processes EBD files and applies 17 different quality checks
  • Handles timezone calculations for dawn/dusk timing
  • Distinguishes between land and offshore checklists