Swift

RECORD's own online data entry system

The quickest way to send your wildlife observations to us is through our easy to use online system, Swift. Anyone can make an account on Swift - just click 'login' in the top right of the screen and register for an account. Swift allows you to easily manage large or small amounts of data which you can either enter directly or import via a spreadsheet. Please only enter records of species where you are sure your identifcation is correct. If you're not sure what something is, it is best to get in touch with us first or instead submit your record to a platform such as iNaturalist for identification help.

Email or post

Get in touch using info@record-lrc.co.uk or send paper records

We have a brilliant team of Data Processor Volunteers who are happy to enter records into Swift on your behalf. If you don't have time to use Swift or already manage your data in a different way (e.g. spreadsheets, report documents, lists, MapMate or on paper) we are more than happy for you to email over your records (or send paper data via the post) in whatever format is easiest for you. To help us out, please make sure you've included all the essential information to make up a biological record. The first time you submit data to us via this method we'll ask you to fill out a quick permission form to allow us to enter the data for you.

iRecord

Use the iRecord platform

iRecord is a well-recognised wildlife recording platform which you can use via an app or web browser. Whilst we do not receive data immediately from iRecord, we do periodically harvest data from here for our database. Within the platform, iRecord data is screened by a team of verifiers who will help to confirm if your identification is correct. If you're unsure of an ID make sure you provide photographic evidence to help with this. Please be aware that the process of downloading data from iRecord and re-formatting it for our own database can take some time, therefore iRecord data can take several years to reach us. If you are in a rush to get your data to us, please use Swift or email it over instead.

iNaturalist

Use the iNaturalist platform

iNaturalist is another extremely popular wildlife recording platform. Built-in identification features and a vast online community mean that it is great for those who are unsure what they've spotted. iNaturalist is built around uploading photos (or sound recordings) of wildilfe - we do not recommend using it to record if you don't have either of these things as the records will never make their way to us. In the UK, iNaturalist data that meets certain criteria is migrated automatically to iRecord (from where we download it). If the record does not meet criteria, or if it has been uploaded with an unsuitable license, we will not receive the data. In fact we are unable to use a large majority of iNaturalist data for these reasons, so if you are an iNaturalist user and want to share your records with us please read our guidance.

Other apps and platforms

There are loads out there but data sharing is tricky

You may have taken part in citizen science surveys in the past and used various websites and apps to submit your results. Examples include the Big Garden Birdwatch, Big Butterfly Count, Bird Track, e-bird, Mammal Mapper, UK Pollinator Monitoring Scheme etc. These schemes are fantastic ways of contributing to science and conservation and we encourage people to get involved. If you are taking part in these surveys or using these platforms, please bear in mind that we would also love to hear what you've been recording. Not all of this data is easy (or possible) for us to access. Please send us a quick email to enquire and we'll be able to let you know whether we already receive the data. If not, we'd really appreciate you sending it over via email or using Swift.

County Recorders, National Schemes and Societies

Send your data to the relevant experts or groups.

County recorders are local experts for a specific species group. As well as fulfilling an extremely important role in verification of records, some County Recorders also manage a database for their area, so you may be used to sharing data directly with them. We have a good relationship with our county recorders, including exchanging data, but the process varies with different groups. If you want to find out more details, please do get in touch.

There are also a vast variety of National Schemes and Societies (NSS) (see a list of these here). Each sceheme is centred on a specific species group. Again, some NSS fulfill a data collection and collation role for their group, so you may be sharing data with them directly. Data exchange between ourselves and NSS varies so if you want to check who is receiving your records please do get in touch.