User guide
1. Register and sign in
Open the tool and register with your email address and a password of at least 8 characters. Your email address is your user id. If you forget your password, contact us via the contact page and we will reset it for you.
2. Choose the identification matrix
The default matrix MATBASIC-1-NORMAL (forams, normal values; 13 environments × 411 species) is built in. You can also upload your own matrix in the original file format.
3. Enter the samples
Three ways, whichever suits your data:
- Upload well file: a text file in the original format (well name, file type, then per sample: type, depth, investigator, analysis type, weight, split factor, species-code/amount pairs, END).
- Pick from FORLIST: enter a depth, then search the species list by code or scientific name and click to add. Add each sample, then “Use these samples”.
- Paste text: one sample per line — the depth followed by the species codes, separated by spaces, tabs or commas. A count can follow a code after a colon, e.g. RSPP:96.
Species are matched by presence: a species that is listed counts as present. Codes that do not occur in the matrix are ignored by the identification. The code PLANKTOT is treated as the total number of planktonics and is used only for the P/B ratio.
4. Set the options and run
- Calculation mode: normal (all characters) or positive entries only.
- Sample range: restrict the run to part of a long well file.
- Summary cutoffs: only list samples with at least a given number of species and/or a given top-1 probability.
5. Read the results
Each sample shows its three most likely identifications with Willcox probabilities. Click a row for the full probability distribution, the diversity indices, the species list with scientific names, and the “species against” diagnostics (species that disagree with each identification by more than 90%). The Download report button produces a report in the original program’s format, including the summary table.
Data logging
Every run is stored: the samples submitted and the results obtained. This data will be used to extend and improve the identification knowledge base. Do not submit data you are not willing to share for this purpose.