Instructions (Inventory)
From LagWiki
The following quote is the instructions from the CCNP Cave Inventory Form. Clarification and comments follow.
"Inventory information is tied to the nearest survey station. At each survey station to be inventoried, scan the area halfway between the last station and the next station for any of the inventory items. Work your way through the inventory sheet recording which station the inventory items are located at. The first time there is an entry for a category, record the pre-fix (example: XJ3). When entering another station to a category that has a previous entry there is no need to use the pre-fix unless a new prefix has been selected (example: XJ4,5,8,A3,9). If you have numerous stations that have an item, instead of writing A1,2,3 you can record them as A1-3. Only use commas and dashes between numbers."
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Comments
Dashes
In the form, it is difficult and error prone to use dashes (except for Stations Inventoried). Using a dash requires predicting the future. For example, if you are at G37 and find an inventory item to record for it and expect to encounter it again at the next few stations, it is dangerous to enter "G37-". The danger lies in what happens when you don't encounter the expected. Do you erase the dash? Did you remember to erase the dash or is your inventory inaccurate because of an oversite? My advice is to never use the dash or at least be extremely judicious and careful with its use.
Abbreviations
Leaving off the prefix (the letter part) of the survey stations for the second and subsequent encounters of an inventory item is good practice. Some of the spaces for recording stations are small and you may find them too restrictive after a long day of survey. Abbreviating the stations helps here; but, do not abbreviate anything except the letter part of the survey designation. For example, do not record an inventory item encountered at FA223, FA224 and FA225 as "FA223,4,5". This is ambiguous and difficult for the data entry person, who uses your form later, to decipher. Instead, record this situation as "FA223,224,225".
Which Stations to Inventory
Unless you have been specifically instructed otherwise, only inventory the new stations you are setting. Do not take inventory for existing stations that you tie into.
