Submitting Results and Data Protection

*Scroll down for answers*

1) How do I submit my results?

2) I've forgotten/lost my 'Log In' details - can you help?

3) The online recording system isn’t letting me save my results. Help!

4) I have entered my results incorrectly - can this be rectified?

5) I have entered my counts online - do I still need to return a paper form?

6) My online recording account is not showing me my site/says that I’m no longer the observer for my site.

7) How are my results used and who can access them?

8) Do you share my personal details?

9) I have changed address/contact details, who should I contact?


1) How do I submit my results?

The best way to submit your results is to log in to your online recording account and enter them directly. However, if you prefer you can either email them to nbmp@bats.org.uk or post them to us at the freepost address shown on the paper version of the survey form.


2) I've forgotten/lost my 'Log In' details - can you help?

The easiest way to log in to the NBMP online pages, if you can’t remember your password, is to re-activate your account. On the login page click where it says ‘If you have forgotten your password, click here’ and enter your email. You will then be emailed a link to re-activate your account (if you can’t see the email in your inbox make sure to check your junk folder). If you can’t remember the email you used, or think you have been locked out of your account, contact us at nbmp@bats.org.uk.


3) The online recording system isn’t letting me save my results. Help!

The most common problem people have when submitting their results is that they don’t realise they have to press both the ‘finish editing’ and then the ‘submit/save’ buttons in that order. Once your counts have saved there will be a message in green writing saying ‘Counts successfully saved’. If the ‘finish editing’ button doesn’t work it’s possible that there’s essential information which you need to enter into one of the boxes before you submit your results (these will be highlighted on the data entry form). If these solutions don’t fix the problem then email us at nbmp@bats.org.uk.


4) I have entered my results incorrectly - can this be rectified?

Yes, you can edit your results for the current year at any time using the ‘edit’ button – just remember to press both ‘finish editing’ and then ‘save/submit’ afterwards.

If you want to add/edit results from a previous year’s survey contact us at nbmp@bats.org.uk, let us know which site(s) and which year(s) and we can enable this for you. Alternatively, post or email us the results we’ll be able to add them to our database.


5) I have entered my counts online - do I still need to return a paper form?

No, once your results are entered onto our online database we have no further need of your paper survey form. If you would still like to send it to us anyway, you are welcome to do so and this can sometimes be helpful if we need to check possible data entry errors.


6) My online recording account is not showing me my site/says that I’m no longer the observer for my site.

We have to allocate a site to you on our system before you can access it on your online recording area. If you have a site which you would like us to allocate to you, please contact us at nbmp@bats.org.uk. If you wish to continue surveying a site which you have previously resigned, or you had not intended to be resigned from a site please contact us using the above email address.


7) How are my results used and who can access them?

The data submitted by our volunteers are used to produce population trends for 11 of the 17 bat species which breed in the UK. Our annual report containing the latest results can be found here.

Under data use agreements we also share data with researchers whose findings often provide new insights into bat ecology and conservation.

NBMP data are submitted to the NBN Atlas which enables users to access species records from a wide range of sources. NBMP records are currently made available at 1km resolution for all surveys except for the Hibernation Survey for which records are only available at 10km resolution. Enhanced access functionality is due to be introduced enabling users to request higher resolution records in order to better inform conservation and research. You can determine at what grid ref resolution data from each of your sites is shared on the NBN Atlas by ticking the appropriate box on your NBMP survey form or online recording page for each sites (or you can indicate if you do not wish records to be shared). Site names/addresses are not shared.

Data are shared with Bat Groups and Local Environmental Record Centres at the “enhanced access” resolution you have ticked on your survey forms or online recording pages, unless you have ticked the box stating you do not wish your records to be shared.


8) Do you share my personal details?

If you have ticked the “Include my name in records shared” box on your online “My Account” page then we will include your name with any records shared on the NBN Atlas or with bat groups and Local Environmental Record Centres. Otherwise we will never share your personal details with any other organisations or individuals. We only hold details of our volunteers in order to contact them and to allocate survey sites based on proximity.

See our privacy policies for more information on how we store and use your personal information.


9) I have changed address/contact details, who should I contact?

It is important that you let us know if you change any of your contact details so that we are able to send your survey resources to the right place and make sure you’re allocated suitable sites based on your location. You can update your details via your online recording account or keep us informed of any changes by emailing nbmp@bats.org.uk.