I found a chimp -- now what?
The Chimp Matching Guide

If you’re new to Chimp & See, you’re no doubt excited the first time you come across a chimpanzee while classifying (okay, every time!).  If you aren’t sure what to do next, here’s some help!

Step #1: Go to the Talk page for the video clip

If you've already left the video clip, you can find it again by clicking ’Recents’ in the Chimp & See menu near the upper-right corner of the screen. This will show you the most recent clips that you have classified (while logged in). Click the thumbnail of a video to go to its Talk page.

Step #2: Read any existing comments

On the Talk page, look under the video to see if anyone else has commented on or discussed this clip. You might need to scroll down to see all existing comments.

Step #3: Add tags

We use hashtags to further explain and categorize what is seen in each video clip. These tags then help us process the data using scripts that look for specific types of clips. For chimpanzees, we have tags that help us understand how many chimps are in the clip, the demographic details, and any noteworthy behaviors. (A list of frequently-used chimp tags is listed below.) First, see if there are any relevant hashtags that are not already included in the comments for your clip. If so, type these tags in the Note box.

This is a partial list of the tags most frequently used for chimps. For a full list of all tags and their current guidelines, please see the Official Keyword/Hashtag List.

Special Notes:

• Add each tag only once, regardless of how many times the animal or behavior is seen in the clip.
• Please don't add tags unless you are reasonably sure they're correct. (If they aren’t, a moderator may ask you to change or remove it later.) Remember, tagging is optional, so don’t feel pressured to tag something you aren’t sure about. In these cases, you can suggest a tag without including the ‘#’ and make it final after discussing it with others.
• Remember that tagging will evolve as the project does. Be sure to check for updates on the boards in Talk, or subscribe to the Official Hashtag/Keyword List to receive notifications of changes.

Step #4:  Describe & match your chimp(s)

4a. Describe a new chimp:

Look in the Comments to see if people are already talking about this chimp. If there aren’t any discussions or comments about this chimp already, you can start the first one. You can simply describe the chimp, or describe it and propose a match with another chimp in a different video clip.

If you want to describe a chimp, please use the following template:

Body: (build, size, colour, hair density etc.)

Brows: (shape, wide, narrow, thick, thin, protruding, gap, dip etc.)

Butt: (colour, shape of callosities or swelling, testes etc.)

Ears: (left, right, shape, position, deformation, cuts etc)

Face: (colour, scars etc.)

Head: (shape, baldness)

Muzzle: (shape, colour, chin, lips, beard etc.)

Nose: (size, shape, crease, nostrils etc)

Special traits: (scars, fingers, toes, missing limbs, health issue etc.)

Infant: If it’s a mother with an infant, please provide a short infant description

Copy and paste this template into your post and add the relevant details. Click here for a description example. More details can also be found in the guide on how to describe and identify a chimp.

You can write the description in a new video comment.
If you do so, please ping the site moderator(s). You’ll find her/them in the respective chimp matching board in the Welcome post.

If you are familiar with creating and posting images or collages, you might also add some cutouts from the described chimp to your post.

4b. Propose a match:

If people are already discussing this chimp, you may be able to help them confirm or disprove a match, or add some additional details that you noticed about the chimp. Click ‘View the discussion’ to contribute.

You can also view the Prospective/Known Chimps list and see if you can make your own match with one of the other chimps already found on the site. To see this list, visit the Chimp ID discussion board for the project site on Talk, then look for the post titled, “Welcome to [site name] chimp matching.”  In this post, you’ll find everything you may need for chimp matching.

Example of a slide in the Known/Prospective lists:

Review this list, and see if the chimp you found may be a match to any of them. If so, create a discussion about it, as described below, or add your thoughts to an existing discussion about either chimp.

There are other resources available for you, like the chimp mug shots, the butt lists and the proposal workbook, all maintained for you by our moderators.
Links to this material can be found on the last page of every known/prospective list, looking like this.

Step #5:  Chimp Matching in Sequences

If a chimp or several chimps are supposed to be seen over several sequences (one sequence is a minute) we have to decide on a case-by-case basis.

A clear sequence is, when the chimps remain at the same place, doing the same things and are also very obviously looking the same. Helpers to define a sequence are either the Subject ID numbers (column A in the spreadsheet) or the clip start time numbers (column D). If the numbers are consecutive and the time gaps are short, if there are any, you can be fairly sure that it is a sequence. In such cases, you can propose a chimp for the entire sequence.

Less clear is a sequence when chimps move around a/o are seen from different sides or angles or are only partly seen, especially so when other individuals are in the same videos. Then we need to look at every single minute separately, and doing sequence proposals for every matchable individual. This also applies to supposed sequences with big time spans in between.

Another case may be if an individual leaves the frame in one minute, and you think it comes back in the same or the next minute. It's better to make proposals for such cases as well, as one person can easily err, but the crowd will get it right.

Paired cameras also play a role in sequences. If you assume that the same chimp(s) is seen at the same date and time but from a different angle, then there's likely a paired camera at the location. In such cases, the clip start time numbers are very important, as they may differ for paired cameras. If you suppose there's a paired camera which is not yet confirmed in the chimp-spreadsheet, please make a proposal or bring it to the attention of the site mod(s).

Step #6:  Remember to follow-up

When you contribute to a conversation on Talk, you will automatically receive email updates whenever someone else adds to the thread. All of your recent comments and discussions for C&S can also be accessed by clicking your user name under “Active Participants,” in the right side-bar in Talk.  Be sure to keep an eye on these discussions, in case someone has a question for you, or your help is needed to finalize a match.

Best practices for Chimp Matching

To make proposals easy to follow, we have the rule to propose one chimp to another chimp per proposal. We call it our 1:1 rule. If for any reason you have to bring in a third chimp, please mention this and tell us why. Mothers can be proposed together with their infants, of course.

What's the best way to compare two proposed chimps?

• Please do not rely on the collages in the proposals alone
• It is crucial to watch all the related videos of the proposed chimps, at least those provided by the proposer. You might find additional traits or non-matching traits. Also, the behaviour, movement and gait of a chimp can be an argument pro or contra.
• Read the proposer's arguments. Usually they tell you more than just an arrow or a circle can.
• It's also useful to visit the slide of the chimp in question in the known/prospective lists, to view other existing material than the one provided by the proposer.
• Formulate your answer. If you agree with all proposed traits and arguments, a simple "match" or a match with some words will do. It's never wrong to add more similarities, if you detect some, though.
• If you're heading for an unsure or even a notta, please give us some arguments for your decision. This helps the proposer to evaluate and maybe address the relevant points again. All the proposal writers have been on the receiving end of a notta, and it can be demotivating a bit at times, because there goes so much time into a proposal. We all would like to get them through smoothly, but it doesn't always happen.

We kindly ask the proposal writers to:

• start your proposal from a video you want to propose. Scroll down, select "Start a new discussion" and select the board "Mathematical Treefort Chimp IDs"
• start the title of a proposal with the word Proposal.... behind that, you're free to use your phantasy. We all love funny titles!
• stick to our 1:1 rule, means we propose 1 chimp to 1 other chimp. Like this, proposals are easy to follow.
• To always add some video links to your proposal
• Add a link to the k/p slide of the chimp in question. This of course only when there is already a k/p entry. It doesn't apply for two new chimps.
• Try to reduce the amount of arrows in the collages. It is better to only point out a few traits of the description you give and not all of them, to not influence the matchers too much and to not disturb the view of the chimps
• Whenever you plan to make a proposal for a chimp, please make a note in column "N" Notes of the chimp spreadsheet, indicating that you are preparing a proposal. Like this, the other matchers know not to touch this video/sequence. You may also add the link to your proposal in column “O” Link once you've posted it. Please do not make more than 4 reservations at any time.