FAQ

Posted on May 3, 2012 | 0 comments

| 0 comments

I want to conduct a Red List for my country – where can I get help?

Excellent! The IUCN make a range of Red List training materials available on their Red List training pages,  and don’t forget our Network where you can get in touch with Red List experts and beginners all over the world.  If you encounter any problems then please contact us.

My country is not shaded on the map

If you know your country has a Red List (or several) and it is not shaded on our map, please get in touch with us!  We are always keen to hear about Red Lists we may have missed and to invite those working on them to join our network.

I am working on a Red List across several countries, is this included?

Absolutely.  We refer to National Red Lists a lot, but we very much include Red Lists at any regional scale smaller than global, from several countries to a key area in one country or even cross-border, such as a specific habitat.

I have some old Red Data Books I’m clearing out – do you want one?

Yes please!  Although this project is primarily a web-based way of sharing data, the Library at the Zoological Society of London holds a wealth of valuable information.  We hold some copies of sub-global Red Lists, but are keen to increase the coverage of the collection so would (almost) always appreciate the donation of Red Lists old or new.  Donated books will all receive a bookplate on their addition to the library, acknowledging the donor individual or organisation.  Do get in touch if you’re interested in donating any books.

I’ve downloaded some data, where can I find explanations of the field names?

Take a look at the Database Fields page, which lists definitions of all the search fields and database fields.  If you’re unsure about anything, don’t hesitate to get in touch

I’m uploading some data, but I have more fields than are included in your template.  Can I include them?

We are always working to improve the functioning of the database.  If you have additional fields that you believe are relevant, please include them at the end of the spreadsheet, and make a note to alert us of their presence.  Whilst we may not be able to use them currently, they will be included should we launch additional features for the database.

Why don’t all the species pages have a photo?

Whilst we have photos of some species, these have kindly been provided by Biopix, the Manzanita Project at California Academy of Science or the authors or editors of a Red List.  We welcome Red Lists submitted with species images.  If you are responsible for an image databank and would like to offer the use of your images, please contact us.

How often is the database updated?

The database will be updated with new National Red Lists as and when we receive the data.  There was, however, a hiatus in staffing during 2011 so please bear with us as we catch up with the backlog.

What are the working languages of the project?

As we are based in the UK our working language is English but we have designed the site with an automatic translation service in the top right hand corner, so all pages should be viewable in a language of your choosing.  We also provide links to National Red Lists in all the languages they are published in.  Please be aware that although we have done our best to ensure the site is available in as many languages as possible, we may struggle to translate accurately if you contact us in a language other than English and won’t necessarily be able to respond to individual queries in the same language that they were received!