Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why isn’t there an “I don’t know” or “unidentifiable” button?
2. What do I do if I cannot identify the animal from the photo?
3. Why do some photos contain no animals?
4. What do I do if there are animals of different species present in the photo?
5. What if I see an animal that is not on your list?
6. What should I do if animals of the same species are displaying different behaviors?
7. What if I’m not sure how many animals are in a photo?
8. Does an animal have to be in all three images to be counted?
9. If I make a mistake, can I return to the photo to correct it?
10. When should I use hashtags?
11. Can I see how many pictures I have classified?
12. What if I see something in a photo that I want to tell the scientists about?
13. What will this information be used for?
14. Can I share photos from Eyes on the Wild?
15. How can I discuss a photo with others?
16. Where is the blog? What's on it?
17. How can I ask a question that’s not in this FAQ?

1. Why isn’t there an “I don’t know” or “unidentifiable” button?

Even though it may seem counter-intuitive at first, a guess can convey a lot of information, especially when analyzed in conjunction with the guesses made by others who are presented with the same image to classify. Each photo in Eyes on the Wild is shown to multiple people. If those people don’t agree, the photo is shown to even more people. Showing the photo to lots of people usually gives us enough information to come to a right answer. Even if people guess different species, we may still get information about the size of the animal. For example, consider an image that contained one blurry, vague animal. People identify that image as a badger, a fisher, a mink, and a weasel. Even though the classifications are all over the place, all of the classifications are of small, carnivorous animals. This helps researchers make a final definitive classification, and is far more useful to researchers than marking the image as "No Wildlife Present". When we don’t have an "I don’t know" button, people give us some information about the image, and that information allows us to figure out each image faster – even the difficult ones. There's an excellent explanation with photo examples here on the Snapshot Serengeti blog!

2. What do I do if I cannot identify the animal from the photo?

We realize that some images are too vague or blurry to identify. However, try your best to identify the animal! By narrowing down the options and making a guess, you are still providing us with some information about the animal. Even if you're not 100% sure, don't try to bypass the image by marking it as "No Wildlife Present"! As mentioned above, each photo in Eyes on the Wild is shown to multiple people. If those people give different response, we show the photo to even more people. If there’s still not a clear indication about what animal it is, we record it as having a low confidence score and flag it for a scientist to review. There's an excellent explanation with photo examples here on the Snapshot Serengeti blog!

3. Why do some photos contain no animals?

The cameras that we use are triggered by heat and motion. When the sensors detect a rapid change in movement or surface temperatures in the detection zone, the camera is triggered. So, when grass or tree branches blow in front of a camera, they result in sequences of “empty” photos. While all of the “empty” images can be frustrating when you want to see animals, we appreciate your effort in classifying the photos as “No Wildlife Present” (in Biodiversity Detective), or assisting us with the Animal or Not workflow. This allows us to filter out “empty” images and focus on the animals of interest.

4. What do I do if there are animals of different species present in the photo?

First, identify one of the animals. After you have clicked the “Identify” button, you will be taken back to the classification screen. There, you can identify the other animal. If the two animals belong to different species, but are listed under a broad category such as “Bird of Prey” or “Squirrel”, you only need to identify the animals once. When you are finished identifying all of the animals in the photo, click the green “Done” button at the bottom.

5. What if I see an animal that is not on your list?

If you think you see an animal that is not an option, first double-check the list. Sometimes, the animal may fall into a broad category, such as "Other Small Mammal", "Bird of Prey", "Squirrel", etc. After you have double-checked the list, select the best or closest identification that you can. When you have finished identifying the photo, click the “Talk” button and tag the photo with the hashtag #new-animal and the species that you think it is. We regularly check the “Talk” section of the website and we will record the correct species when we see this hashtag.

6. What should I do if animals of the same species are displaying different behaviors?

On the classification screen, you can and should select ALL behaviors that animals of the identified species are displaying in the photo. You do not need to complete separate classifications for animals of the same species performing exhibiting behaviors.

7. What if I’m not sure how many animals are in a photo?

Record the number of individuals of each type of animal as best you can. Your best guesses contribute to a collection of responses that lead us to the right answer. Since every photo is seen by multiple volunteers, any mistakes will get outweighed by a larger number of correct answers.

8. Does an animal have to be in all three images to be counted?

No, you should try to record the number of animals present in the ‘capture event’ - the series of images. So, if you see three deer in the first image, but then another deer walks into the second image for a total of four, you should record four deer.

9. If I make a mistake, can I return to the photo to correct it?

No, you cannot return to a photo to correct a mistake, but do not worry about it! Your best guesses contribute to a collection of responses that lead us to the right answer. Since every photo is seen by multiple volunteers, any mistakes or misidentifications will eventually be outweighed by a larger number of correct answers.

10. When should I use hashtags?

A hashtag can be a powerful tool in terms of searching for related content on social media. Here at Eyes on the Wild, hashtags are a useful way to find unusual sightings and to search for images of specific species. Having said that, used wrongly or overly zealously hashtags can become a nightmare for our research team!

If you are not 100% sure of the identification of an animal, then don’t hashtag it. You can still flag the image for discussion where moderators will hashtag it if deemed necessary. It is not necessary to hashtag every image you flag for discussion. Try and be selective and choose unusual images or those with some scientific relevance. Think what might be useful to the scientists or other citizen scientist classifiers. If you added a hashtag that turned out to be incorrect, please click on the edit button below the comment to delete the # symbol.

Use a hashtag when you discover something rare or unusual. Hashtag images you think are particularly impressive in terms of photographic quality. These types of images are used by our scientists and teachers in research and in promotional or educational material!

The main message here is to think before you hashtag. Why am I tagging this image? Does it really warrant it? Use them sparingly. If in doubt, leave it out. There are more tips, tricks and rationale about hashtagging in this blog post.

11. Can I see how many pictures I have classified?

Yes, you can!
i. Use your Eyes on the Wild log-in information to sign-in to Zooniverse.
ii. Click on your user name in the upper right hand corner and select "My Profile".
iii. Select the tab “Your Stats”. This will show you all of the classifications that you have done for Eyes on the Wild and any other Zooniverse projects that you have participated in.

12. What if I see something in a photo that I want to tell the scientists about?

If you see an animal with a radio collar, an animal with injuries, or an animal that is displaying interesting behaviors, you can share those photos with the scientists on the discussion boards. To do so, click on the “Done and Talk” button and add a comment to the photo. If possible, add a hashtag that will make it easier to search by keyword, such as #injury or #nursing. We can use the information that you provide to identify individuals and study behavior.

13. What will this information be used for?

Visit our "Research" tab to learn more about the goals of the overall project and specific research initiatives! You can also learn more about what each of our scientists are up to by going to their personal web pages, which can be accessed on the "Team" tab.

14. Can I share photos from Eyes on the Wild?

Yes! These images are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/deed.en_US), so they can be used for non-commercial purposes. Be sure to ascribe credit for the photos you are sharing to “EyesOnWild.com”. You should also mention the Creative Commons license, so that the people you share with know how they can share it, too.

15. How can I discuss a photo with others?

When you have finished classifying the images presented, you can click the “Done and Talk” button. This will direct you to a Talk page where you can can add hashtags to the photo, add the photo to your collection, "favorite" the photo, or ask a question about it.

16. Where is the blog? What's on it?

Our project blog can be found at eyesonthewild.blogspot.com. It is regularly updated by researchers, staff and volunteers to share insight into the project! We aim to answer common questions raised by volunteers in greater depth than is possible on the Talk boards, share new research insights and developments, give you a glimpse into the internal workings of the project, provide additional resources and information about specific species, and highlight the stories of citizen scientists working on the project. We encourage you to subscribe to it to stay in touch with the latest happenings!

17. How can I ask a question that’s not in this FAQ?

Start by clicking “Talk” at the top of the page. Here you can search through questions asked by other citizen scientists. If you don’t find the answer you are looking for, click the appropriate board (e.g. “Questions for the Research Team” or “Technical Support”) and start a new discussion. Experienced Zooniverse volunteers also participate in these discussions and offer great advice!