The database has been designed to be user-friendly for the field observer in the first place arguing from the premise that it is more important that the field observer gets his/her data into the database correctly and efficiently than that the future user needs to make a bit more of an effort when interpreting the data. The latter will always find a way to manage the data, but if a field observer has difficulty entering his/her data, (s)he may postpone entering data or give up all together and valuable data may not be recorded correctly or at all. We feel that the database is user-friendly for both field observers and data-users. After all, we hope that in many cases field observers also become data users who interpret the data of themselves and of othes.
A few records are compulsory in a database. These records are marked with *; without them, that particular field form cannot be saved in the database.
Some records allow for decimal values. When a value without a fraction needs to be recorded, make sure to register zero values for the spaces for the fraction. If you don’t fill out the fraction with a zero, the figure will shift towards the fraction position and your value becomes mistaken.
For entering (or “populating”) the data of the field forms into the database, open the database by double clicking on the icon of the file in the storage directory in windows explorer, or by selecting the file from MS Access from “file” on the menu bar. The database will automatically open in the window of the custom formatted Main Switchboard
Navigation button 1
“Go to the Entry Forms” will lead you into the different registration forms from where you enter the data.
Navigation button 2
“Close Program” will exit the programme. It is not necessary to save the data.