For biological data to be useful it needs to be as accurate as possible. One of the major ways in which data can be validated is via the expertise of County Recorders who collate information about specific groups, orders or families of species within the Cheshire region (e.g. plants, butterflies or moths, etc.).

At RECORD we encourage people to send their information/records to the relevant County Recorder. In this way the County Recorder improves their knowledge of the distribution of their species group but it also gives them the chance of validating the records they receive and then pass on to RECORD. Unusual or spurious records are usually readily recognised by the County Recorder who has a wide knowledge of the species likely to be found in the Cheshire region. At the end of each year, after collating all the records they have received, the County Recorders send their information in to RECORD for storage, data management, analysis and for proactive and laudable usage. Where data arrives at RECORD and by-passes the County Recorder, RECORD will ensure that such data is passed back to the County Recorder for validation purposes.

All data entered into RECORD's Online Data Input System (RODIS) is accessible to, and is validated by, County Recorders where the species in the records have particular status or where the County Recorder has specifically requested to see all records for specific species.

A list of County Recorders currently associated with RECORD is available via email ([email protected])