SpeciesHub Support Center

Getting started is easy. Here are several ways to start using SpeciesHub:

 Watch our introductory video to learn about SpeciesHub's key features and concepts.

Adding an observation is straightforward and can be done either through the Sites or Map page. Use the Sites option when you are physically present at the observation site or when you have precise coordinates to enter. The Map feature is especially useful on mobile devices as it allows you to pin the exact location for your observation.

Follow these simple steps to add your observation:

1. Navigate to the Sites or Map section of the app.
2. Click the Add button (located in the top left corner on desktop or the bottom left corner on mobile).
3. Enter the scientific name of the species, the date, the type of observation, and any other relevant fields.
4. Click Next.
5. Fill in any additional data fields provided and then click Save.

If you have observations stored in a spreadsheet, you can easily import them into SpeciesHub. Here's a general overview of the upload process:

1. Prepare your data: Format your table of observations according to the SpeciesHub template (download here). Refer to our support article, "Preparing a Table for Upload to SpeciesHub",   for detailed instructions.
2. Upload the file: Navigate to the Upload page within SpeciesHub. Select the spreadsheet containing your observations. The application will analyze your file, identify potential issues, and display data previews. If everything is in order, proceed with the upload process. Refer to our support article, "How to Upload a Dataset", for detailed guidance.
   
3. Monitor the upload: The upload will commence in the background. You'll receive a notification once the upload is complete. Refresh the app to view the newly imported sites.

Note: Free users are limited to 200 kilobyte spreadsheets, while premium users can upload files up to 2 MB.

SpeciesHub can be used by individual researchers, but if you work with others, you can create or join a group. Observations owned by a group will be visible to all group members:

How to Create group:

1. Go to Group page and click on Add button.
2. Type the group name, add email addresses of group members, and select their roles.
3. Click Save to send invitations.

How to Join group:

• Due to privacy concerns, group lists are private. You should provide your email address to group administrators for them to add you to the group.

Note: Free users can be members of up to 5 groups. Users using Personal plan have no group limit. 

SpeciesHub is designed to work seamlessly on various devices, including PCs, tablets, and smartphones. Access all our data conveniently through your web browser or by downloading our Android app from the Google Play Store.

Getting started for organizations is a bit different than for private experts. Here are several things to keep in mind.

An organization allows you to manage a list of users who can utilize SpeciesHub premium features. Any organization member can belong to as many groups as desired. In the Organization page, you can manage your organization, add or remove users, change the organization name, or adjust the number of seats. When a user is added to the organization, they will receive a notification within SpeciesHub, or if they are not a user, a welcoming email will be sent.

It is a good idea to separate users into groups. For small organizations, a single group where all members see all data might be sufficient. However, in most cases, having multiple groups is the best approach. You can separate members by department, project, or team. This ensures that users only see the data relevant to their roles, preventing them from being overwhelmed by data used in other groups. Keep in mind that groups can share data with each other if necessary.

If you have observations stored in a spreadsheet, you can easily import them into SpeciesHub. Here's a general overview of the upload process:

1. Prepare your data: Format your table of observations according to the SpeciesHub template (download here). Refer to our support article, "Preparing a Table for Upload to SpeciesHub",   for detailed instructions.
2. Upload the file: Navigate to the Upload page within SpeciesHub. Select the spreadsheet containing your observations. The application will analyze your file, identify potential issues, and display data previews. If everything is in order, proceed with the upload process. Refer to our support article, "How to Upload a Dataset", for detailed guidance.
   
3. Monitor the upload: The upload will commence in the background. You'll receive a notification once the upload is complete. Refresh the app to view the newly imported sites.

Note: Free users are limited to 200 kilobyte spreadsheets, while premium users can upload files up to 2 MB.

SpeciesHub is designed to work seamlessly on various devices, including PCs, tablets, and smartphones. Access all our data conveniently through your web browser or by downloading our Android app from the Google Play Store.

Watch our introductory video to learn about SpeciesHub's key features and concepts.

If you already have observations in a spreadsheet, you can easily upload them to SpeciesHub. Follow these steps:

1. Prepare your data:
   
• Download the SpeciesHub template (link here).
  
• Follow our guide "Preparing a Table for Upload to SpeciesHub" for formatting your spreadsheet.
2. Upload the file: 
• Go to the Upload page in SpeciesHub.
  
• Select your spreadsheet containing observations.
  
• The app will check your file and show a report.
  
3. Fix any issues:
   
• The report might highlight common problems like misspelled species names or unrecognized authors.
  
• You can add missing authors, but species names need correction in the file itself (re-upload after fixing).
  
• For unrecognized species names, use GBIF species search (link: https://www.gbif.org/species/search).
  
4. Review and upload: 
• Data ready for upload will be displayed on a map or table. Exclude rows you don't want to import.
  
• Click Next if you're happy with result.
  
5. Ownership and tags:
   
• Choose data ownership (private or group). Private: only you see the data unless shared. Group: all members see it (good for teams and organisations).
  
• Add tags to easily filter your observations later.
  
• Confirm ownership or permission to use the data.
  
6. Upload and view: 
• Click Upload to start the process (happens in the background).
  
• You'll get a notification when it's done. Refresh the app to see your imported data.

Note: Free users can upload files up to 200KB, while premium users can go up to 2MB. For larger files or needing help, contact us at support@specieshub.io (additional fee may apply).

1. Navigate to the Sites or Map section of the app.
2. Click on Add button (located in the top left corner on desktop or the bottom left corner on mobile).  
3. In the Sites page, a Add new site dialog will appear. In the Map page, you will need to click on the place where the site is to trigger the Add new site dialog.
   
4. Scientific species name: In the dropdown, you will see your recently used species. Select one or type to filter species from your list or our database. Once you find the right species name, simply select it to move on.
   
5. Observation type: Select the observation type from the list. Each species or systematic group has specific observation types and fields. You can select more than one observation type, and if you are missing an observation type or field, please contact us.
6. Coordinates (only adding via Sites page): Click on the GPS button to fill in coordinates. You will get a notification if accuracy is low.
   
7. Observation date: Select the date of observation. Today is always suggested as the default.
   
8. Observer: By default, the observation author will be you. However, if you're adding data on behalf of someone else, you can easily assign them credit by selecting their name. You can manage the author list in the settings.
   
9. Owner: This is very important. The owner can be you or a group. In the first case, only you will see the observation. In the group case, all group members will see it immediately. This is very suitable for organizations or teams. In the free plan, you can be a member of up to five groups.
   
10. Tags: Add tags for easy organization. Tags are a powerful tool for filtering your observations later, especially with large datasets. You can use them for anything relevant, like project names, species traits, or custom categories. All the tags you've used previously appear in the dropdown menu for easy selection. You can manage tag list in the settings.
    
11. Notes: Type notes if you need to.
12. The first part of the form is filled. Let's go to the second by clicking Next.
    
13. In the second page, add information to the remaining fields. Some fields might be required, while others offer convenient dropdown menus for faster data entry.
    
14. When you finish, click Save.

Ensure all your location data (X and Y coordinates) are formatted in the WGS84 coordinate system. This is the standard coordinate system used by SpeciesHub for geospatial analysis.

A separate sheet named "optional data fields" is included in the template. This sheet lists all the possible data fields you can use to import your species occurrence records. You can choose any relevant fields from this list and copy their names to your "data" sheet.

Once your data is ready for SpeciesHub, you can proceed to the  Upload page to submit it. Alternatively, refer to our support article, "How to Upload a Dataset,"  for detailed instructions.

1. Navigate to the Sites or Map section of the app.
2. Click on Add button (located in the top left corner on desktop or the bottom left corner on mobile).  
3. Open the Add New Site dialog.  In the Sites page, the dialog appears immediately. In the Map page, click on the location first to trigger the dialog.
4. Select "Multiple species" to enter multiple observations at once.
5. Choose the category of species you plan to add. This helps filter relevant observation types.
6. Select the observation type from the list. Different species groups have specific observation types and fields. You can select multiple observation types. If an observation type or field is missing, contact support.
7. Enter Coordinates (only when adding via the Sites page). Click the GPS button to autofill coordinates. You’ll receive a notification if accuracy is low.
8. Select the Observation Date. Today is the default.
9. Choose the Observer.  By default, you are the observer. If submitting on behalf of someone else, assign their name. Observer names can be managed in settings.
10. Set the Owner. The owner can be you or a group. In the first case, only you will see the observation. In the group case, all group members will see it immediately. This is very suitable for organizations or teams. In the free plan, you can be a member of up to five groups.
11. Add Tags for organization and filtering. Tags help manage large datasets. Use them for project names, species traits, or categories. Previously used tags appear in a dropdown for quick selection. You can manage tag list in the settings.
12. Enter Notes if necessary.
13. Complete the first part of the form, then click Next.
14. On the second page, enter habitat details (if needed). Some fields may be required. Dropdown menus speed up data entry.
15. Click Next to proceed to the last page.

16. Select and filter species. Choose species and fill in species-related attributes. Click Add to include a species. Repeat for as many species as needed.

17. Final Step. Click Save to submit your observations.

You can filter species by epithet when adding a new observation. In the Scientific species name field, type a space followed by the epithet (e.g., " sapiens"). The app will recognize that you're searching for a species epithet and display relevant results.