Category: Timestamped Field Notes

Field Notes / Field Triangulate – Currently Free

I wrote these mainly for my own use, but took the time to productize them, so charge for them. That said, I like them being used and doing good, so if their price is a barrier, here is an opportunity to try them for free…

Timestamped Field Notes:

I use this myself for Raptor Monitoring taking timestamped notes when trying to keep binoculars on Peregrine Falcons, Prairie Falcons and Golden Eagles. Some use ethograms with primates, spiders, and more. It has been used for observation notes for everything from humans to whales and many more. Some use it for taking health log notes. The application is iOS only, but it is free for the month: 

https://www.neukadye.com/mobile-applications/timestamped-field-notes/

Since this application is iOS only, I made Notes Collector free for the week on Android:

https://www.neukadye.com/mobile-applications/notes-collector/


Field Triangulate:

I wrote this for wildland firefighting (locating smoke columns in the mountains) but a number of wildlife biologists use it for radio telemetry triangulations. Take two points plus compass bearings to a destination point and it calculates the latitude/longitude estimate for that point: iOS and Android, and free on IOS for the month, on Android for the next week: 

 https://www.neukadye.com/mobile-applications/field-triangulate/

Timestamped Field Notes 4.9 Configuration

Timestamped Field Notes has too many configuration options. I know that, and I should likely trim some, but there are a varied use cases for the application, and I’d like to support those which I can. Further, I know that most users don’t adjust (or even know about) the default configuration settings, and that likely reduces the value of features placed behind a configuration option. All true, but where we are today…

Some new options for Timestamped Field Notes 4.9:

  • Search enabled – allow text search into events and/or notes.
  • Notes Grouping – group notes by the hour, day, or more…
  • Event Grouping – group events by the hour, day, week, month…

I use the application to monitor raptors, observing Peregrine Falcons, Prairie Falcons and Golden Eagle in the Rocky Mountains. I go hike, observe and record, export the data to submit with my report and move on. I do group notes and events, just for easier visually scanning. I don’t need search, I don’t go back and look at past entries. I do not have search enabled.

Others do. Some people use the application to record events, as a log. For them search allows them to quickly answer questions of “when did X occur”, either which events contained this note, or even which notes contained that text.

Go to “Manage” / “Configure Application” to get to the application settings.

Intervals (e.g. Focal/Scan Samples, and more.)

Some behavioral research requires monitoring activity at (or during) intervals of time. This can be for focal or scan sampling in wildlife behavioral research, or time sampling in psychology. Additional uses include bounding monitoring periods.

Intervals-Screenshot

Timestamped Field Notes now allows the ability to define configurations of intervals:

  • Name of interval configuration
  • Interval duration (hours and/or minutes)
  • Text to insert into the event to mark each interval
  • … and a few others.

These can be associated with an event or a keyword set (to have it apply to each event created with those keywords.)

Intervals are presented on the screen (see screenshot) as a count down above the data entry fields. Intervals can be paused, restarted and/or reset – where the start of interval time is changed to now.

This feature is entering beta testing phase, and anybody willing to give their feedback on this feature – to see if it works well for their uses – is asked to express their interest to info@neukadye.com.

It is too premature to document this feature yet, but when ready it’ll be added to the Timestamped Field Notes documentation.

Interval Timers in Timestamped Field Notes?

I’ve received some interest in “interval timers” for Timestamped Field Notes, i.e. regular audible blips, notifications and/or automatic text inserts that occur at time intervals during the event data entry. The purpose is to segment the data, or initiate regular action from the user.

This feature would help support behavioral sampling (e.g. scan sampling, instantaneous sampling) but maybe also other purposes for your need.

If interested in helping specify this feature, please comment here, or send your thoughts to info@neukadye.com or answer these quick questions:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/8QLS9ZB

Thanks in advance for your feedback.

Monitoring
Bat Monitoring, Colorado