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  Frequently asked
  questions about
  data entry

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Netscape Navigator: http://home.netscape.com/browsers/index.html

Note that the pages have not been tested yet on Microsoft Internet Explorer 6, so if you have that version and are experiencing any problems, please let us know.

If you have provided an email address during the registration, or if you have entered one in your profile after the registration, you can have your password sent to you by email. On the login page, there is a box called Email me reminder You can type in your login name, OR your email address (exact spelling is required). The password will be sent to the email address you provided us. This way, no one else can retrieve your password. If you still can't recover your password, please contact us, we'll be happy to assist you. 

Yes. On the login page, there is a checkbox that says: save your login information in a cookie. If you check it, your browser (e.g., Netscape or Explorer) will keep a "cookie" containing the login information for the next time. This will only work for sessions done on a single computer, and only on a computer that allows cookies. If you try logging in using a new computer, you must enter your login name and password again. Do NOT save your login information if you are working in a public place (e.g. a library) as anybody using that computer would then be automatically logged in as you.

All of the data entry web pages are designed to fit within a screen using a minimum resolution of 800x600 pixels and using a normal font size. If you have to scroll left or right the see the page in full, your screen resolution is probably too low. The data entry page will still work fine, but you will end up scrolling left and right more than you should. Most computers will support at least a resolution of 800x600 pixels. Note that it is normal that you have to scroll up and down however on some pages. To change your screen resolution in Windows (95, 98, Me or 2000), go to the Control Panel (under the Start Menu and Settings) and select the "Display" icon. Click on the last tab (Settings) and make sure that the Screen Area bar is set to 800 by 600 pixels. Changing this value may also affect the number of colors that your screen can display. Normally, you will want to set the Colors to the maximum value available for that resolution. Before clicking OK, we suggest that you close all the programs currently running.

When you click OK, Windows will ask you if you want to try changing the setting without restarting the computer or if you wish to restart. In most cases, you can select the first option. The screen resolution will change and a prompt will appear to ask you whether you want to keep those settings. If your screen becomes illegible, just wait 15 seconds and your original settings will come back into effect. You can go to a higher resolution if you wish, but 1024x768 pixels is probably the maximum you want to use.

The page is slightly too large to print in a portrait format, but will print fine if you use a landscape orientation. When you select the print menu, you can normally control the orientation under the printer's properties.

From the data entry page, click on the Profile button and make the changes you want. If you change your password, make sure that you type the same password twice in the boxes provided, and that you remember your new password. You will be prompted to enter your new password the next time you login, even if you have asked the computer to remember your password. Note that you cannot modify your login name once it is created.

Your address is useful to us for at least 2 reasons. First, many people are already participating in other bird monitoring programs, and your address will allow us to determine whether you are already in our list of participants. If you are participating in another program managed by Bird Studies Canada (e.g., Project FeederWatch, Birdathon, Canadian Lakes Loon Survey or Christmas Bird Count) and have been assigned a number, please also enter that number in the space provided, together with your address. Second, we may need to contact you if we have any questions about your data. However, be assured that we will not distribute your personal information to any third party without your written consent. Only authorized administrators of Project NestWatch will be able to access your personal information. 

B3. I am already using the online data entry page for Project FeederWatch. Can I use the same login name and password to access the NestWatch data entry page?

No, you need to register again to create a NestWatch login and password. When you register, please enter your FeederWatch participant number on the registration form. If you wish, your login name and password can be the same that you already use for Project FeederWatch, but they do not have to be. 

You must remember to save your data before leaving a page. This can be done by clicking the Submit or the Save button, or by using any of the links provided on the page itself (such as Next page, Previous page, etc.). Going to an external link saved as a favorite or a bookmark, or that you type yourself in the address bar, or clicking the BACK button on your browser will NOT save your newest data.

C2. What is the "Cancel changes" button and what does it do? I click on it and nothing seems to happen.

The Cancel changes button will only cancel changes you have made to the data since the last time you saved that page. If any data were already there when the page loaded, it will simply go back to its original value at that time. Once your data have been submitted, you cannot retrieve a previous version of it.

C3. When I tried to save a page, I return to the login page with this message: "Your session has expired or has been closed. You need to log in again"

This is probably because you have not accessed the site (by clicking a link or submitting data) for a period exceeding 30 minutes. Any data that you've try sending at that point have not been saved. So, if you start entering data and need to leave your computer for an undetermined period of time, you must make sure that you submit or save your data first.

Yes, unfortunately. There is currently no mechanism that allows you to modify the province once the form has been created, so be careful to select the right province before you start.

This problem has been reported by one user who has been using version 5.5 of Internet Explorer. Apparently, this is a problem related to the "auto-complete" feature of Explorer which, when activated, tries to fill in boxes for you on the data form. This feature must be deactivated (it will not work on the data entry site anyway). To do this, go under the tools menu and select "Internet options...". Under the "advanced features" tab, scroll down, and make sure that Use Inline AutoComplete is not selected.

The location of the nest is one of the most important pieces of information you need to report, and there are several ways you can obtain your coordinates. 1) The most precise method is with a Global Positioning System (GPS) unit, if you have one. If you use a GPS, please ensure that the projection is set to NAD83 (see next question). You can report the coordinates in UTM (please include the zone, the easting and the northing) or in degrees/minutes/seconds. 2) You may use the mapping tool available from the data entry page and simply zoom to your area and click on the approximate location of your nest. 3) If you have a topo map, or a detailed map of your area, the coordinates will usually be displayed on the margin of the map. With a ruler and a simple calculation, you can obtain reasonably precise coordinates. For example, if your map has coordinates lines every 15 minutes (quarter-degree), spaced at 12 cm each, and you measure that your nest is about 7 cm north of latitude 46^o30' N, then you calculate your latitude in the following way:

15' / 12 cm = 1.25' per cm
7 cm * 1.25' per cm = 8.75' 
46^o30' N + 8.75' = 46^o38.75'

The decimal minutes must also be converted in seconds:
0.75' * 60 sec/minute = 45"

Therefore, your latitude is 46^o38'45" in degrees/minutes/seconds.

If you use a topo map, the coordinates will be displayed in UTM. Please note the projection of the map (see next question), and the zone (a number from 7 to 22 in Canada).

C7. What does NAD83 and NAD27 mean?

NAD83 and NAD27 indicate the "UTM projection", or the "Datum". UTM coordinates assume that the earth is flat within an area called a Zone. The NAD27 system, designed in 1927, was changed for the NAD83 system in 1983. If you are using a GPS, make sure to set your datum to NAD83. Please read your instruction manual if you are not sure how to do this. If you are using a topo map, the datum will be identified near one of the corners. Most maps in southern Canada are now NAD83, but there are still older maps with NAD27 available, especially in remote areas. When reporting UTM coordinates, make sure to note down the zone, the easting and the northing.

This is to indicate how you obtained your coordinates (from a GPS device, from reading a topo map, or by using a mapping tool on the Web).

C9. What else should I know about data entry?

There are a few important points that you should note carefully.

1- you should never use the BACK and FORWARD button to move between pages. Data entry pages do not behave like other web pages. Certain actions must done in a given sequence by the server for the page to operate normally.

2- You must remember to save your data before leaving a page. This can be done by clicking the Submit or the Save button, or by using any of the links provided on the page itself (such as Next page, Previous page, etc.). Going to external links saved as a favorite or a bookmark, or that you type yourself in the address bar, will NOT save your newest data.

3- You don't have to enter all of your data in one single occasion. Any information that you save will be displayed again on the online data form when you return to it. If you need to make changes to data you entered previously, simply update the information and save the page.

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