Field Mycologist UK uses community identification. Members look at each other’s observations, agree with IDs they’re confident in, suggest better ones, and Identifiers lend extra weight to the IDs they back. Here’s how it fits together.
The Basics
- You record an observation with your best ID. It starts as Unconfirmed.
- Other members respond. They can agree with the ID, suggest a different one or comment.
- When an ID is clearly ahead of every other ID, the observation is confirmed automatically. It’s also confirmed when it reaches Research Grade on iNaturalist as the same species.
Ways to Take Part
Agree
If you’re confident an ID is right, click Agree with ID (on the website) or tap Agree (in the app). You can agree with an observation’s current ID, with someone’s suggestion, or with an earlier ID such as the observer’s original. Identifiers agree in exactly the same way. See Agreeing With an ID.
Suggest an ID
If you think an ID is wrong, suggest the species you think it is, with a short explanation. See Suggesting a Different ID.
Accept (the observer)
If someone suggests a better ID for your observation, you can accept it. Editing your observation to a species someone has suggested counts as accepting their suggestion. See Accepting an ID Suggestion.
Comment
Ask questions, ask for more photos or share useful details. On the website, use the Leave a comment or suggest an ID box at the bottom of the observation: write your comment and click Post Comment. You don’t need to suggest a fungus. In the app, tap + Add Comment.
How Confirmation Works
Every member has one vote on an observation: their latest ID. The observer’s own ID is their vote to begin with. Suggesting an ID, agreeing with one or accepting one sets your vote, and if you change your mind your vote simply moves.
An ID is confirmed when it is clearly ahead of every other ID:
- Currently, that means a lead of three votes.
- If at least one Identifier is among the members backing the ID (including the observer, if they’re an Identifier), a lead of two votes is enough.
So if an Observer records a species and two other members agree, it’s three votes to none and the observation is confirmed. If an Identifier agrees instead, it’s two votes to none with an Identifier behind it, and it’s confirmed straight away.
Staying confirmed
One disagreement doesn’t undo a confirmed ID. It stays confirmed while it’s still ahead of every other ID and no Identifier is backing a different one. The observation goes back to Unconfirmed if another ID catches up with it, or if an Identifier backs a different ID and the confirmed one no longer has a clear enough lead. It’s confirmed again as soon as one ID is clearly ahead.
Members who agreed with a confirmed ID are told if it’s challenged or loses its confirmation, so they can take another look.
Which name is shown
An observation shows the observer’s own ID unless a different ID has been confirmed. If the community confirms a different ID, that’s the one shown, and the observer’s ID stays visible in the activity.
When the IDs can’t agree
Sometimes an observation’s IDs are split and nobody is clearly ahead. It simply stays Unconfirmed, and Identifiers can see it on a Disputed list to help settle it. See Disputed Observations.
What doesn’t count
- Only each person’s latest opinion counts. If you agree with one species and later suggest another, your vote moves.
- If someone withdraws a suggestion, or it’s hidden after being flagged, their own vote is removed. Members who agreed with it keep their votes.
- Genus-level IDs are never confirmed. A genus-level suggestion doesn’t count against a species in that genus, unless the member making it says the species can’t be identified from the observation. See Understanding Genus-Level ID.
When the Observer Changes the Species
If the observer changes the ID (by editing it, accepting a suggestion or agreeing with one), their new ID becomes their vote and their original ID stays visible in the activity, crossed through once it’s no longer their ID or the confirmed one.
Other members’ votes stay where they are, so agreements with the original ID still count, and members can still agree with it. If the original is still clearly ahead, the observation stays confirmed as the original. Otherwise it becomes Unconfirmed until one ID is clearly ahead.
Becoming an Identifier
Observers who consistently make accurate identifications can be promoted to Identifier automatically. The best way to get there is simple: only agree or suggest when you’re genuinely confident. See Understanding User Roles.
Good Practice
- Be constructive: explain your reasoning when you suggest an ID.
- Only agree when you’re sure: an agreement says “I’ve checked this and it’s right”.
- Ask when unsure: a question is better than a guess.
- Learn from others: read the reasons people give for their IDs.