Instructions for Data Formatting and Import

1. Camera Trap Data (Deployment Information)
   • General Structure:
     • Upload a CSV file containing 1 row per station (if 1 camera per station) or 1 row per camera (if >1 camera per station).
     • Station and Camera IDs can be any combination of characters and numbers. Do not use double underscores ("__") in IDs, as these are used internally by camtrapR.
   • Location Information:
     • Station Column: A unique identifier for each camera trap station.
     • Camera Column (optional): An identifier for individual cameras if multiple exist per station.
     • X & Y Coordinate Columns: Geographic coordinates (e.g., Longitude/Easting and Latitude/Northing).
     • Coordinate Reference System (CRS): Provide as an EPSG code (e.g., 4326 for WGS84, 32650 for UTM Zone 50N) without quotes.
   • Date Columns (Setup & Retrieval):
     • Must contain the setup and retrieval dates as character data type (do not use R's native Date type).
     • Specify the date format using lubridate codes (e.g., "ymd") or base R formats (e.g., "%Y-%m-%d"). The format must be consistent across all date columns.
     • Use date format (e.g. "ymd") or date-time format (e.g. "ymd HM".
   • Problem Columns (Optional):
     • Check the box if your data includes camera malfunction periods.
     • Column names must strictly follow the pattern: "Problem1_from", "Problem1_to", with additional pairs for further problem periods: "Problem2_from", "Problem2_to", etc.
   • Station/Camera-level Covariates:
     • Additional covariates (e.g., habitat type, trail type, camera model) can be included as extra columns in this CSV for use in later analyses.
2. Record Data (Detection Information)
   • General Structure:
     • Upload a CSV file containing the species detection records (e.g., output from the recordTable functions).
     • If you encounter a "maximum upload size exceeded" error, please adjust the maximum allowed file size in the dashboard sidebar under "File Size Control".
   • Required Columns:
     • Species Column: Contains the species names (common or scientific).
     • Date/Time Column: Contains the timestamp of each detection record.
   • Temporal Settings:
     • Date/Time Format: Specify using lubridate codes (e.g., "ymd HMS") or base R formats (e.g., "%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S").
     • Time Zone: Specify using standard Olson names (e.g., "UTC", "Asia/Singapore"). UTC is recommended if your area uses Daylight Saving Time (DST) but your cameras do not record or adjust for it.
   • Species Exclusion:
     • Provide a comma-separated list of species names to exclude from all analyses (e.g., "UNID, team, Human"). Names must match exactly as they appear in the Species column.
3. Import Workflow
   • Upload the CSV file for each data type. Once uploaded, the column selection dropdowns will populate automatically.
   • Map the appropriate columns and enter the specific formatting details (CRS, Date Format, Time Zone).
   • Click the "Done" button to confirm import and settings. A data preview will appear below the input box.

Notes:

• Consistency is key: Ensure date and time formats are identical across all relevant columns within a file.
• Do not convert date columns to R's native Date type before saving your CSV; keep them as text/character strings to ensure proper parsing via the specified formats.
• Avoid special characters like double underscores ("__") in Station and Camera IDs, as these are reserved for internal package operations (e.g., file naming).
• If you have multiple cameras per station, ensure each camera has its own row in the Camera Trap Data CSV and include a camera ID column to properly assess independence.
• If you are unsure have a look at the built-in datasets: camtraps and recordTableSample.

Relevant functions and data sets

• recordTable
• camtraps sample data
• recordTable sample data