 Rates of people joining 350 >50 SRS Top: number of recruits per year 300 <50 SRS Mid top: Mean SRS received per cohort 250 kits interest Mid bot: Total SRS received per cohort 200 honorary Bottom: Rate of data received bad mail 150 During the first three years of the 100 project (91-93) recruitment increased per year, to peak 50 in 93. A renewed 0 recruitment drive in 98/99 resulted in a secondary <91 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 0 1 increase. There was a

120 100

80 60 40

20 0 <91 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 0 1

20000 steady loss of mail contact (bad mail) with time. 18000 Honorary people were those 16000 included on mail lists for 14000 various reasons. People who wrote in but showed no 12000 further interest were mainly 10000 encountered at the beginning 8000 of the project. People who 6000 paid for kits, but then never sent in any data varied in 4000 proportion but were always 2000 there. The proportion of 0 atlassers increased towards <91 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 0 1 the end of the project, but not so the proportion of experts (>50 SRS). Based on the mean number of SRS submitted per cohort, the most productive atlassers were recruited before and during the first year of atlassing. Correcting these data (based on 1991, by dividing by the number of years’ atlassing remaining) showed that early recruitment was most productive, with a minor increase from 96-98, when presumably only those with a real interest joined the project. Based on the total number of SRS submitted per cohort, the most productive atlassers were those recruited during the first three years - and prior to - of the project. Corrected data (based on 1991, by dividing by the number of years’ atlassing remaining) show only 1998 to approach the level of atlassing experienced during these years. The number of SRS received per month showed a linear increase during 1991-92 and then experienced an erratic pattern of highs and lows. The low period of 94 was when the scientific officer was in Europe. The high spikes tend to occur after the release of newsletters, Interim Distribution Maps, Field Guides and other communications. In general though, while the pattern fluctuated the peaks show a general increase until 97, followed by a flattening off and a steep final increase. The quarterly running average shows a similar pattern, although the flattening off is during 96 and the increase commences a little earlier in 1999.

SRS PER MONTH 1400

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0 3 4 5 1 2 6 7 8 9 0 3 5 6 0 1 2 2 3 4 4 5 6 7 7 8 8 9 9 0 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 0 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 0 9 9 9 9 9 9 0 ------r r g r g r g g r g g r r g r g r g g c c c c c c c c c c u e p e p u e p u p u e p u e p u e p u e u e p u e u e p A D A A D A A D A A D A A D A A D A A D A A D A A D A A D Date