Introductory guide for the "Lapis Guides" app and server systems

2. ©
Panos©
ARS
©
Shekhar Ghosh
©
National
Geographic©
Carsten
Egevang
©
Amadeus
DeKastle

3. An initiative of
• Create
digital
field
guides
to
support
your
research
• Work
with
the
public
to
collect
and
analyze
data
using
citizen
science
• Photographs
• GPS
locations
• Time
and
dates
• Observation
notes
• Tailor
field
guides
to
suit
your
purposes
• Scientific
studies
• Biodiversity
conservation
• Public
awareness
and
education
• Available
in
multiple
languages
• Available
on
iOS
&
Android
Your Portal to the World Of
Citizen Science Field Guides
Lapis
Guides

4. Case Studies
Citizen
Science
Lapis
Guides
was
created
to
meet
the
needs
of
projects
involving
citizen
science.
By
tapping
into
a
large
group
of
volunteers,
the
volume
of
data
that
can
be
collected
is
enormous!
Our
first
project,
the
Butterflies
of
Kyrgyzstan,
has
allowed
volunteers
to
collect
distribution
data
on
over
100
species, focused
mainly
in
Ala
Archa National
Park.
Community
Involvement
Enabling
local
people
to
be
involved
in
conservation
is
something
that
we
value. One
project
in
Kyrgyzstan
has
involved local
shepherds
in
the
collection
of
records
of
petroglyphs
and
burial
mounds
in
alpine
regions
where
they
have
first
hand
knowledge
of
both
the
natural
environment
and
cultural
traditions and
heritage.
Education
Teaching
scientific
concepts
to
students
is
facilitated by
field-­‐based
opportunities. One
of
our
Lapis
Guides
mini-­‐
apps
provides
students
with
a
tool
to
collect
data
on
macro-­‐invertebrates
in
freshwater
streams – which
benefits
conservation
through
monitoring
and
helps
educate
young
people
about
nature
and
ecology.
Ecological
Research
In
conjunction
with
Biosphere
Expeditions'
Snow
Leopard
project,
we
have
provided
access
to
a
number
of
apps
to
collect
ecosystem-­‐related
data.
These
are
now
being
used
to
help
promote
the
protection
of
an
alpine
region
of
the
Tianshan as
a
new
national
park
in
Kyrgyzstan,
aiming
to
provide
more
protected
habitat
for
vulnerable
species.
Lapis
Guides

5. Lapis Guides works through two parallel systems to
create an extraordinary citizen science experience
Smartphone Apps
• For
app
users
• Portable
field
guide
• Data
collection
• App
features
• Field
guide
• Scalable
map
• User’s
observations
• Others’
observations
• Other
settings
Web Server
• For
project
managers
• Creating
and
editing
apps
• Data
monitoring
&
export
• Sections
to
manage
online
• App
screen
• Field
guide
• Settings
• Users
• Data
• Languages
‘Citizen
science’
allows
multiple
users
(and
app
creators)
to
assess/confirm
data
submissions
Lapis
Guides

6. Features
Sample inventory of mini-
apps within Lapis Guides
Main screen of the demo
Butterflies of Kyrgyzstan
How
the
app
works

7. Field Guide
Sample field guide entry in Lapis Guides mini-app
(sequence of screenshots)
How
the
app
works

8. Map
The map function allows precise
visualization of spatial-temporal
data for all sighting by all users.
Lapis Guides maps are updated with new data
as users submit their sightings!
Previous data sightings can easily be searched
with filters for species and specific timeframes.
Sample:
The map (to left) shows all sightings made for the
Brown Argus, Aricia agestis, between May 5 and
August 5, 2016.
How
the
app
works

9. My Collection
(1) It acts as a storage area for sightings that
have yet to be uploaded to the server (e.g.
when in the field, often out of wifi range).
(2) All sightings in this section can be edited
until they are uploaded to the server.
The ‘My Data’ section of the
mini-app serves two primary
functions:
How
the
app
works

10. Citizen Science
The Citizen Science feature enables users to
help scientists determine the accuracy of
identifications provided by other users
Data verification tool
User votes are seen on the server as an aid for
data verification
Comparisons are made between
• Photograph of a species observed
(submitted by another user)
• Verified photograph of species
(from the field guide)
How
the
app
works

11. Upload Sighting Data
Take a photo with your phone
to submit with the sighting
OR
Record a sighting without
taking a photograph
OR
Upload a photograph from
your photo gallery
All three options can be used even with
no internet, no cell coverage, and when
the airplane mode is turned on.
Any submissions made without internet
are saved within the app, and ready for
submission when connected in future.
Taking and uploading new
observations, incl. photos
How
the
app
works

12. Editing
options
Field Guide Tabwww.fieldguide4all.org
Editing apps from the
web-based server

13. Filter
data
• By
keyword
search
• By
species
• By
date
• By
images
attached
to
data
Data
is
downloadable
in
CSV
format,
for
use
in…
• Excel
• R
stats
• QGIS, etc.
Data Tabwww.fieldguide4all.org
Editing apps from the
web-based server

14. Data flow
Data Access & Management
PROJECT
Updates
Map
info
Field
guide
New
sightings
Server Data Storage
Other
services
Data
flow
and
management

15. Citizen
Scientists
Data Access & Management
Your Project
Data
access
Data collected through
the app is stored in the
cloud, and accessible
by project managers
and Lapis Guides
developers
In most instances, app
users will be able to see
data generated through
Lapis Guides mini-apps,
while project managers
and developers shall be
able to undertake more
detailed analyses

16. Funding
Option 1:
Users have open access to the field guide
Option 2:
Users pay small fee to download field guide
Project pays
startup costs
$$$ Field guide is
free for users
to download
$ $
Many users pay
a small fee for
field guide
Payment
options
Project can pay
less if the end-
users will pay

17. Services
Training
is
available
from
the
team
at
Lapis
Guides!
• Technical
training
in
use
of
the
app
• Support
for
developing
new
guides
• Data
analysis
and
reporting
• Statistical
analysis
• Geographic
information
systems
• Development
of
outreach
materials
Our
team
The
team
J
Marc
Foggin,
PhD Amadeus
DeKastle,
MSc Matthew
Emslie-­‐Smith,
MSc