Part of the Recorder Feedback system: https://github.com/BiologicalRecordsCentre/recorder-feedback
Biological recorders contribute valuable biodiversity data; and extensive infrastructure exists to support dataflows from recorders submitting records to databases. However, we lack infrastructure dedicated to providing informative feedback to recorders in response to the data they have contributed. By developing this infrastructure, we can create a feedback loop leading to better data and more engaged data providers. This work builds on automated, personalised feedback delivered by email to butterfly recorders through the MyDECIDE programme in 2021 (run as part of the DECIDE project 2020-2021).
See for more details.
The Recorder Feedback Controller App provides a standalone application that interacts with other recording platforms (such as Indicia platforms like iRecord and iNaturalist). It is developed in Python using the Flask app framework. Its main purpose is for user management and dispatch of personalised feedback for biological recording.
App features:
- Defines and hosts a database for holding information on:
- Recorders - personal information, identifiers for recording platforms
- Lists - the different types of feedback participants can subscribe to
- Subscriptions - who has subscribed to what lists
- Email history - logging who has received what feedback
- Provides authenticated API endpoints as the main way of interacting with the database from an external service
- Creating users
- Subscribing / unsubscribing from lists
- Some limited front-end functionality
- Admin panel for user management and creating scheduled jobs for dispatching feedback
- Interacts with the R code developed for generating the feedback items https://github.com/BiologicalRecordsCentre/recorder-feedback
See the wiki for detailed documentation: https://github.com/simonrolph/recorder-feedback-controller/wiki
This has been developed with Python 3.12 using pip for package management.
- Python installation: https://www.python.org/downloads/ (or from the Software Centre if at UKCEH). Ensure it has been added to PATH environment variable https://realpython.com/add-python-to-path/
- pip installation: https://pip.pypa.io/en/stable/installation/
- Install virtualvenv:
python -m pip install virtualenv
Clone repo and navigate inside folder:
git clone https://github.com/simonrolph/recorder-feedback-controller.git
cd recorder-feedback-controller
Create virtualenv
python -m virvualenv venv
Activate the virtualenv (not possible on UKCEH managed machines because of IT policies)
venv\Scripts\activate (windows)
source venv/bin/activate (unix)
Install packages using pip to the user library
python -m pip install flask flask_mail apscheduler pyyaml
Create the config.py by copying from config_example.py and filling in details. Create a folder named data. Run the app
cp config_example.py config.py
mkdir data
python app.py
Then navigate to http://127.0.0.1:5000/ taking you to the limited front end. Click on the link to go to the admin panel and enter the username and password you specified in config.py.
This app calls R code which generates the html feedback items before dispatch. Here I want to make a feedback list called 'weekly-report'. Navigate to the R directory, clone the R code repository then rename the folder to 'weekly-report' (or whatever you wish to call your list).
cd R
git clone https://github.com/BiologicalRecordsCentre/recorder-feedback
ren recorder-feedback weekly-report
Follow the set-up instructions located here: https://biologicalrecordscentre.github.io/recorder-feedback/