I have been using the new eBird data entry module, now in beta testing.  You
can log into it at

http://demo.ebird.org/

and it has recently been reviewed in North American Birding at

http://www.nabirding.com/2011/06/04/more-ebird-love/

While I agree with the favorable nature of the review, I don't think it goes
nearly far enough.  Somebody with some human factors smarts has been at work
on the interface and it has resulted in an interface that more efficient,
and more importantly, easy and pleasant to use.

The move to a sequential checklist format is long over due.  In the beta
version, species are in a single column dow the left side of the screen, as
opposed to the three-abreast format used in standard eBird (and, not
coincidentally, in the OBBA II data entry module).  The new format is easy
and natural, whereas three-up format is just maddening.

Not only is it easier to find the species you are looking for, entering
comments and additional data is much more streamlined.  Formerly, entering
supplemental information required calling up a whole new screen cluttered
with data entry boxes for every species on your list, rather than just the
ones you have additional data on.  In the beta version, there is a button
"Add details" that appears when you designate a species.  You enter details
on the fly and only for particular species..  There are subsidiary options
to enter age/sex data, breeding codes, info about oiled birds (highly
specialized), as well as general comments.  The breeding code options are
particularly interesting, especially for those of us conditioned by five
years of atlassing.  It opens up the possibility of a continually updated
breeding bird atlas for the whole country.

The "Jump to species" function is much improved.  The entry box is located
in a separate panel that is stationary.  That is, it does not scroll up with
the list; it is always at the top right of the screen.  It searches on
fragments of vernacular or scientific names and suggests species as you
type.  With a little experience, you can use this to zero in quickly on the
desired species.  For instance, typing "d-bil" gives the unique choice
"pied-billed grebe."  This is a real boon for entering data following a
visit to a new area.  I recently entered data from three field seasons in
South Africa where there are several enormous families, such as larks,
pipits, cisticolas, Old World flycatchers, sunbirds, etc.  Searching
manually through these groups can be time-consuming, but using the "Jump to
species" function can reduce the workload to a couple of keystrokes.

Perhaps the most welcome improvement is the almost exhaustive implementation
of keyboard shortcuts.  It is now possible to enter an entire checklist
without taking one's hands off the keyboard.  There are still some places
you can get into that require the mouse to get out of.  In the standard
mode, keyboard codes often do not work the same way on successive screens.
 In some cases, hitting the ENTER key moves you to the next screen and in
some cases it makes you start all over on the current one.  I'm not a great
typist, but even so I find the present setup much more efficient that the
old one.

Now if they can just make it work on my iPhone  . . .

Cheers,

Bob


--
Robert D Powell
Congress Farm Research Institute
Wilmington, OH, USA
[log in to unmask]
http://rdp1710.wordpress.com

Nulla dies sine aves

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