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Step 6: Data Transfer & Management

Files should be organized in a similar fashion to camera trap data.

Copying Data​

  1. Create a data retrieval folder. This folder name should follow the following conventions: {organization_initials}_{project_name}_{project_year}_{R#} where organization_initials is an abbreviated name for the organization that is collecting/owns the data, project_name is a 1-3 word description of the project, project_year is the year in which the data were collected, and R# is the data collection event (or "round") number, so that the first time you collect sd cards you would use R1 and the second time you would use R2 etc.

Ex. CMI_Wilder_Ranch_2025_R1

  1. After retrieval, copy each SD card into a folder named with the card ID. This folder should be placed in the data retrieval folder you created in the previous step.

  2. Store these folders on your project computer.

Field Sheets​

  • Maintain deployment and retrieval metadata in the cumulative Google Sheet.

  • Keep acoustic data on the project computer for ≥6 months as a backup.

SD Card Issues​

  • Corrupted or unreadable SD cards may be sent to CMI for recovery.

  • Cards with repeated issues should be retired/discarded.