NMDC Community members put mobile metadata management to the test

This is a two-part series highlighting two NMDC Community members who provided beta-testing and user research feedback for the Field Notes mobile app. Given the diverse needs of the research community across many different sampling environments, researcher feedback was an instrumental part of developing our app. Two of our developers spoke about how they incorporated user feedback during the development process:

“Being able to talk to potential users at the outset of our design process was invaluable. As a software developer, I don’t personally have the experience of working in the field and the unique challenges that come with it. But user research made it clear that things like offline support and streamlined data entry would be crucial for an application like Field Notes to be successful.” -Patrick Kalita, LBNL, Software Engineer

“User feedback helped us learn about the environments the app might be used in. For example, one of the researchers we interviewed told us that she used to collect biosamples on a boat, sometimes at night. That led to us thinking about a few features the app might have; specifically, offline mode and dark mode.” -Eric Cavanna, LBNL, Software Engineer

Read more below to learn how our community members’ field research experiences contributed insights to shape Field Notes for data management on-the-go:

Cassie Miller (Published July 28, 2025)

Cassandra (Cassie) Miller is in the final stages of her PhD program at the University of New Mexico. She is a microbial ecologist who examines the role that soil microbes play in supporting ecosystem recovery post-extreme drought in the Southwest US. Outside of her research, she serves on the Central NM Resilient Futures Initiative’s Community Task Force where she applies her science background to policy actions that aim to reduce pollution and benefit local communities and ecosystems. Cassie believes that solving pressing environmental challenges requires collaborative effort. By making our data findable, accessible, and reusable, we can enable researchers to build upon each other’s work, accelerate discovery, reduce research costs, and maximize the value of the growing body of microbiome research.

Cassie out in the field at Sevilleta LTER. Photo credit: Cassie Miller

What field research have you participated in?

My research journey began with a summer Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) at the Sevilleta Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) site, where I spent the summer comparing aquatic microinvertebrate communities in artificial and natural springs across the wildlife refuge. This was a fundamental experience because before this I was naïve, and thought that biologists only studied rainforests, a lovely system but one that I didn’t feel connected to. After this summer, I worked on my own independent research project at Grinnell College studying the thermal tolerances of fungal endophytes that I had collected from the Iowan tallgrass prairie to fungal endophytes isolated from dune grass in the hyper arid Namib Desert.

I was fortunate to participate in international fieldwork in South Africa and Namibia as I followed my passion for arid ecology. In South Africa, I studied acacia branch architecture responses to disturbance pressures, like fire and herbivory. I also spent time in the Fynbos ecosystem studying humans as vectors for seed dispersal in conservation areas. In Namibia, I worked at a long term ecological research station where I taught science and assisted in many different projects ranging from Welwitschia mirabilis growth monitoring to tenebrionid beetles to post-mining restoration efforts.

After bopping around after college, I have come full circle back to Sevilleta. Now I spend time in the field and in the greenhouse investigating how intensifying aridity and temperature variability alter our traditional understanding of resilience in ecosystem processes, community interactions, and foundation species recovery trajectories.

Elephants crossing the road on a trip in South Africa. Photo credit: Cassie Miller

Do you have any good stories about your sampling trips? Or any nightmare stories where fieldwork was particularly challenging?

One of my favorite Sevilleta moments happened last summer when out sampling soil for the MONet project with a team of rad soil ladies. When we had proposed our project to sample soil seasonally, we never dreamed that we would have the perfect storm come through and slowly drench all our sites – our soils were wet 30 cm deep at all three sites which is truly unusual for the Sevilleta! At our last site, we had to hike through the desert grassland for a mile. On our way we stumbled across a herd of ~30 Oryx and Pronghorn antelope frolicking together in the wet, grassy field. They were completely unafraid of us and just so joyful with the moisture.

Earlier in my graduate school career, my labmate and I would go to the Sevilleta for weekly seedling monitoring. Unfortunately, this perfectly aligned with peak rattlesnake season! We got used to looking for 1-2 each time we went out, but our record was 7 in one day! Most of the time the snakes were curled up in cinnamon rolls hidden in grass hummocks, perfectly set up for us to accidentally step on them. Luckily, we also caught ourselves right before setting our foot down! Studying soils and plants definitely comes with an abundance of unexpected animal encounters.

How do you typically collect and store your metadata during field sampling?

Typically, I go through a few phases of outlining which variables I’m interested in and identifying sampling sites. Then these details help me populate my data sheets that then get printed for field use. In the field, my team and I fill out these paper forms with (ideally) all the environmental and sample information. Once back from sampling, I try to digitize everything soon after so that we don’t forget any details or notes. We keep the paper copies as backup references which have come in handy more than once when double-checking details!

Once you get back to the lab, how do you retrieve the metadata collected in the field, and what are the next steps typically (e.g., data curation, sharing with team)?

My first step is typically digitizing my notes and datasheets, though inevitably some metadata goes missing and requires follow-up trips for GPS coordinates and such. Then comes data wrangling (cleaning, organizing, and validating everything) to ensure that it’s analysis ready. This quality control step is crucial for reliable downstream analyses.

Cassie recording sampling notes at Sevilleta LTER. Photo credit: Cassie Miller

What are your favorite tips for data management out in the field?

• Always use pencils in the field to prevent ink smears (either by rain, sweat, or other spills)
• Bring extra sharpies that are flagged in a bright color so that you don’t lose them in the field and have extras if they dry out in the heat
• Bring MORE WATER and snacks than you think you need, it’s nice to share and a comfort to know that you’re prepared
• Pre-hydrate, I like to drink electrolytes the night before/morning of to deter dehydration or heat exhaust
• Have a checklist of information you want to collect because when you’re focused on sampling, it’s easy to forget metadata (though Field Notes is helpful for this!)
• And always, always share your location, plans, and estimated return time with your team for safety.

Why did you participate in Field Notes user research and beta testing?

As we advance through the digital age, it’s important to adapt our data collection methods. The NMDC Field Notes app addresses a real need. It helps ensure that we capture comprehensive metadata that often gets overlooked in the field. It streamlines data entry, cuts down on some of the transcribing steps, and helps improve standard metadata collection methods which can improve collaborative research.

Environmental factors can greatly influence our research, and documenting them systematically across studies will strengthen microbiome studies. As someone who values long-term research and cross-site comparisons, I was excited to beta-test an app that could enhance data quality and expand the impact of our individual research efforts.

How do you see Field Notes contributing to microbiome research?

Field Notes has the potential to improve the quality of data collection by standardizing metadata across studies. This will enable more useful cross-site comparisons in future studies. It directly supports FAIR data principles and can facilitate data reuse.

Since environmental context can shape microbiomes, having standardized, comprehensive environmental metadata will strengthen study reproducibility and enhance our ability to understand microbial patterns across ecosystems.

Pronghorn at Sevilleta LTER. Photo credit: Cassie Miller

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Thomas Pitot (Published April 28, 2025)

Thomas Pitot is in the final stages of his Ph.D. program at Université Laval in Québec City, Québec, currently preparing to defend this summer! He is an oceanographer by training but considers himself a microbial ecologist and bioinformatician. Thomas has extensive field research experience and has sampled from Arctic lake environments along the northern coast of Canada in the Last Ice Area (LIA). This region serves as a critical refuge for ice-dependent species and acts as a buffer zone for both marine and inland ecosystems. His research interests are to describe environmental microbiomes, explore microbial and viral interactions, and investigate the biogeochemical coupling under environmental pressures occurring in these lakes. He believes that FAIR data and open science are essential for supporting the fast-evolving field of microbiome research by facilitating collaboration across multidisciplinary labs and institutions, and by promoting transparency and reproducibility.

Thomas filtering water to capture most of the microbial community on a 0.22 µm filter. Credit: Thomas M. Pitot

What field research have you participated in?

Throughout my Ph.D., I participated in numerous field research campaigns in both the Canadian sub-Arctic and High Arctic, during both summer and winter seasons. However, my primary research interest and focus have been in the Last Ice Area, along the northern coast of Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, Canada. There, I worked with a multidisciplinary team to sample and characterize the microbiology and biochemistry of polar lake water columns. Our focus is to understand the links between microbial communities and the biogeochemical responses of these aquatic environments to ongoing environmental change.

Do you have any good stories about your sampling trips? Or any nightmare stories where fieldwork was particularly challenging?

Fieldwork in extremely remote areas naturally leads to unforgettable stories. Some of the most meaningful include discovering breathtaking environments, unique ecosystems, and polar biota, as well as spending time with Inuit guides who generously share their knowledge, stories, and support while we work in their territories. Of course, polar fieldwork also comes with its challenges: unexpected adventures, cross-team collaborations, temperamental equipment, and long evenings in the lab are all part of the experience. And then there’s the weather! Unpredictable conditions can shut down an entire mission. In 2022, for example, some of us had to remain in the field for a couple of extra days when lift-outs became impossible due to dense fog.

View from the airplane of Ward Hunt Lake and Ward Hunt Island. Credit: Thomas M. Pitot

How do you typically collect and store your metadata during field sampling?

In the North, we’re never alone. Teams usually consist of at least three people. This setup is especially helpful for collecting metadata. While one person is sampling and another is on bear watch, the third can focus on collecting metadata from the site. Most of the time, metadata is written in a waterproof field notebook, photographed with a cellphone, and later transcribed into an Excel sheet back at base camp.

Once you get back to the lab, how do you retrieve the metadata collected in the field, and what are the next steps typically (e.g., data curation, sharing with team)?

Personally, I like to sit down and reorganize all the metadata into a final table where I can add notes and fill in any missing entries that might have been skipped or rushed in the field for various reasons. That’s often the time to start texting colleagues, asking for photos of the missing parts. Once all clean and complete, metadata are shared and often made common between involved labs.

What are your favorite tips for data management out in the field?

Pro tip: always photograph your own notebook and your teammates’ too, if possible. It can really save you later!

Sleeping tents and Lab tent at the base camp on Thores lake shores. Credit: Catherine Girard

Why did you participate in Field Notes user research and beta testing?

Even though we do not and should not depend on our cellphones out in the field, the truth is that I don’t know many people that do not take their cellphones with them while sampling, in this situation, better use these powerful devices as a tool for our work and that is what the Field Notes app does in my opinion. I was especially eager to participate in the beta testing to test the offline mode!

How do you see Field Notes contributing to microbiome research?

I genuinely think the Field Notes app is a great tool to streamline both metadata collection and management. The use of NMDC metadata standards, along with the app’s built-in auto validation, helps users capture more complete and consistent metadata, including some that are often overlooked or omitted. As the app and its standards become more widely adopted, I believe it will lead to greater collaboration, enable large-scale studies, and promote FAIR data reuse, all of which will significantly advance microbiome research.

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