The Accuracy of Behavioural Data Collected by Visitors in a Zoo Environment: Can Visitors Collect Meaningful Data?
Volunteer data collection can be valuable for research. However, accuracy of such data is often a cause for concern. If clear, simple methods are used, volunteers can monitor species presence and abundance in a similar manner to professionals, but it is unknown whether volunteers could collect accur...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2012-01-01
|
| Series: | International Journal of Zoology |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/724835 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1832568376883412992 |
|---|---|
| author | Rachel L. Williams Sue K. Porter Adam G. Hart Anne E. Goodenough |
| author_facet | Rachel L. Williams Sue K. Porter Adam G. Hart Anne E. Goodenough |
| author_sort | Rachel L. Williams |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Volunteer data collection can be valuable for research. However, accuracy of such data is often a cause for concern. If clear, simple methods are used, volunteers can monitor species presence and abundance in a similar manner to professionals, but it is unknown whether volunteers could collect accurate data on animal behaviour. In this study, visitors at a Wetlands Centre were asked to record behavioural data for a group of captive otters by means of a short questionnaire. They were also asked to provide information about themselves to determine whether various factors would influence their ability to collect data. Using a novel analysis technique based on PCA, visitor data were compared to baseline activity budget data collected by a trained biologist to determine whether visitor data were accurate. Although the response rate was high, visitors were unable to collect accurate data. The principal reason was that visitors exceeded the observation time stated in the instructions, rather than being unable to record behaviours accurately. We propose that automated recording stations, such as touchscreen displays, might prevent this as well as other potential problems such as temporal autocorrelation of data and may result in accurate data collection by visiting members of the public. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-945c1c421e4f496daf354632df445f2c |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1687-8477 1687-8485 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2012-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Zoology |
| spelling | doaj-art-945c1c421e4f496daf354632df445f2c2025-02-03T00:59:10ZengWileyInternational Journal of Zoology1687-84771687-84852012-01-01201210.1155/2012/724835724835The Accuracy of Behavioural Data Collected by Visitors in a Zoo Environment: Can Visitors Collect Meaningful Data?Rachel L. Williams0Sue K. Porter1Adam G. Hart2Anne E. Goodenough3Department of Natural and Social Sciences, University of Gloucestershire, Cheltenham GL50 4AZ, UKWildfowl and Wetlands Trust, Slimbridge, Gloucestershire GL2 7BT, UKDepartment of Natural and Social Sciences, University of Gloucestershire, Cheltenham GL50 4AZ, UKDepartment of Natural and Social Sciences, University of Gloucestershire, Cheltenham GL50 4AZ, UKVolunteer data collection can be valuable for research. However, accuracy of such data is often a cause for concern. If clear, simple methods are used, volunteers can monitor species presence and abundance in a similar manner to professionals, but it is unknown whether volunteers could collect accurate data on animal behaviour. In this study, visitors at a Wetlands Centre were asked to record behavioural data for a group of captive otters by means of a short questionnaire. They were also asked to provide information about themselves to determine whether various factors would influence their ability to collect data. Using a novel analysis technique based on PCA, visitor data were compared to baseline activity budget data collected by a trained biologist to determine whether visitor data were accurate. Although the response rate was high, visitors were unable to collect accurate data. The principal reason was that visitors exceeded the observation time stated in the instructions, rather than being unable to record behaviours accurately. We propose that automated recording stations, such as touchscreen displays, might prevent this as well as other potential problems such as temporal autocorrelation of data and may result in accurate data collection by visiting members of the public.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/724835 |
| spellingShingle | Rachel L. Williams Sue K. Porter Adam G. Hart Anne E. Goodenough The Accuracy of Behavioural Data Collected by Visitors in a Zoo Environment: Can Visitors Collect Meaningful Data? International Journal of Zoology |
| title | The Accuracy of Behavioural Data Collected by Visitors in a Zoo Environment: Can Visitors Collect Meaningful Data? |
| title_full | The Accuracy of Behavioural Data Collected by Visitors in a Zoo Environment: Can Visitors Collect Meaningful Data? |
| title_fullStr | The Accuracy of Behavioural Data Collected by Visitors in a Zoo Environment: Can Visitors Collect Meaningful Data? |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Accuracy of Behavioural Data Collected by Visitors in a Zoo Environment: Can Visitors Collect Meaningful Data? |
| title_short | The Accuracy of Behavioural Data Collected by Visitors in a Zoo Environment: Can Visitors Collect Meaningful Data? |
| title_sort | accuracy of behavioural data collected by visitors in a zoo environment can visitors collect meaningful data |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/724835 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT rachellwilliams theaccuracyofbehaviouraldatacollectedbyvisitorsinazooenvironmentcanvisitorscollectmeaningfuldata AT suekporter theaccuracyofbehaviouraldatacollectedbyvisitorsinazooenvironmentcanvisitorscollectmeaningfuldata AT adamghart theaccuracyofbehaviouraldatacollectedbyvisitorsinazooenvironmentcanvisitorscollectmeaningfuldata AT anneegoodenough theaccuracyofbehaviouraldatacollectedbyvisitorsinazooenvironmentcanvisitorscollectmeaningfuldata AT rachellwilliams accuracyofbehaviouraldatacollectedbyvisitorsinazooenvironmentcanvisitorscollectmeaningfuldata AT suekporter accuracyofbehaviouraldatacollectedbyvisitorsinazooenvironmentcanvisitorscollectmeaningfuldata AT adamghart accuracyofbehaviouraldatacollectedbyvisitorsinazooenvironmentcanvisitorscollectmeaningfuldata AT anneegoodenough accuracyofbehaviouraldatacollectedbyvisitorsinazooenvironmentcanvisitorscollectmeaningfuldata |