Frequently Asked Questions

Data Providers (Entomologists)

How do I get a template with only the columns and countries I need?

  • Click the “Request a Customised Spreadsheet Template” link in the footer of any email from the system.
  • This opens a form where you can select specific countries, vector groups, and optional columns.
  • If you don’t already have an email from the system, send an email with a blank spreadsheet attached to vector.validation@efsa.epimundi.com.

How do I submit my data for validation?

  • Complete your data entry in the 1.DATA INPUT-Ticks (or relevant vector group) worksheet of the Excel template and email the file to vector.validation@efsa.epimundi.com.

What should I do if my submission fails validation?

  • You will receive a “Validation Failed” email with an annotated spreadsheet.
  • Open this file and use the red highlights (critical errors) and yellow highlights (warnings) to correct your data, then resubmit the updated file to the same email address.

What is the difference between an error and a warning?

  • Errors are invalid data, such as text in a numeric field or an end date prior to the start date. These block data submission and must be fixed in order to request validation by the vector entomologist.
  • Warnings are unusual data that could nevertheless be correct. They should be checked (and corrected if they are mistakes).
  • If they are correct, you are able to submit your data to the reference entomologists with warnings.

What is the “Validation Map” for?

  • It visually plots your coordinates to help you identify spatial errors, such as points falling outside the specified country.
  • It is only provided if the system detects spatial errors or warnings.

Can I report a species that is not in the dropdown list?

  • Yes. You can manually enter the name in a non-controlled cell and paste it into the data sheet, or insert it into the 3.Vector species or 4.Host species reference worksheets.
  • Note that these will trigger a system Warning, which is normal.

Why am I getting this error:

“A numerical sequence of more than 5 elements was identified. Please confirm that this is not an input error due to value dragging.”

  • In Excel, when using the ‘drag’ feature to copy cells between rows, the system will often increment values ending in a digit.
  • The Data Validation Tool detects series of sequentially increasing values (dates, numbers and even strings ending in a digit) and flags them as warnings.
  • Please check to make sure that the values are correct and not the result of this Excel feature.

What should I do after correcting issues identified by the reference entomologist?

The validation tool tracks interactions and keeps a copy of validated data.

  • ✅ DO resend your data to the validation tool (vector.validation@efsa.epimundi.com) to do a final check for errors, and, if it passes, resubmit your data to the reference entomologist
  • ❌ DON’T send your data via email directly to the reference entomologist.

VectorNet Reference Entomologists

What does expert validation entail?

  • Expert validation is the final quality-assurance step prior to GBIF submission.
  • A reference expert reviews data that have already passed all automated technical checks and provider confirmation.
  • They evaluate scientific validity by examining system-flagged warnings (such as new species records, geographic distribution outliers, or unusual species–protocol combinations) and apply expert judgment to approve or reject records.

Does data still need to be submitted for expert validation when no errors or warnings are present?

  • Yes, if providers wish their data to be included in the VectorNet data portal or incorporated directly into the VectorNet database (which is published on GBIF and updated regularly).

What should I do with Warnings?

  • If a submitted spreadsheet has warnings, these represent unusual data that the submitter judges to be correct.
  • You should check these carefully, but you can still approve a spreadsheet containing warnings.

How do I approve or reject specific records?

  • In the new GBIF-formatted worksheet added to the workbook, you must fill in two columns for every row:
    • Enter 1 to approve or 0 to reject in the validation column.
    • Provide your ORCID ID in the identifier column.

Where do I send the file once I have finished my review?

  • Email the manually validated workbook back to the original data provider.
  • They are responsible for the final upload to the GBIF repository.

How do I add a new species to the system’s permanent reference list?

  • Click the “Update Species Reference List” link in any notification email footer.
  • Fill out the web form with the species name, group, and (optionally) its GBIF taxonomic key.
  • The system will then automatically retrieve official records from the GBIF database.

What should I do if I find errors that need correction?

  • Contact the submitter and explain the problem.
  • Request that they correct the data, re-validate, and submit again via the validation system.

What does the blue highlight on species names mean?

  • The blue highlight represents a special type of warning (an ‘alert’), intended specifically for reference entomologists to check.
  • It indicates that the system could not confirm that the species was normally found in the specified location.
  • This could be because the species has not been previously recorded as endemic in that region or the species name is at a higher level (i.e. genus) than the data in the distribution database. In this case, the warning can be ignored.