We make available all records contained in our database, including not only records that we received that are outside our scope, but records that we suspect to be erroneous for any reason. Those reasons may include a conflict with the scientific literature, incongruence with other data points in our database, or comments from original collectors and our users. Correcting these or determining that they are in fact not an error often requires input from our users, especially users involved as collectors or determiners of those records. For this reason we include them, but realize that many users will not want to use these in some data analyses without at least reviewing them. Our query page allows them to be filtered from results. 

By far, most of these records are flagged because they are geographic outliers, which we have not yet been able to fully research. In most cases, specimen examination corrects outliers (by re-determination), but in some cases more thorough research into collectors' field notes, original jar labels, original hand-written museum ledgers and/or direct communication with people involved with the collection is needed. 

All suspect records are labeled in the website along with our comments regarding details of our research into each record (species identification, collector comments, and original documentation). Suspect records are identified in our website using a color schema defined here.

Error detecting methods

All of our records are assessed species by species in GIS by a group of experts familiar with Texas fishes during the same meetings that determined our native ranges. See documentation relating to our expert consensus meetings to learn more. Records are sometimes flagged outside those meetings when appropriate. We are developing tools that spatially evaluate incoming records against a set of generally accepted records that can automatically flag spatial or temporal outliers.

Records can be added to our list for examination anytime for any logical reason. Suspicions can often be addressed quickly when it involves our own (University of Texas Biodiversity Collections; TNHC) specimens. Make a comment on a record or contact us if you find something that we should look into.