Community & Version History

Table of contents

1. Overview
2. Reporting Issues
   1. Bug Reports
   2. Feature Requests
3. Technical Contributions
   1. Development Environment
   2. Code Standards
4. Version History Management
   1. Version Numbering
   2. Release Process
   3. Current Version Timeline
5. Research Collaboration
   1. Academic Use
   2. Species Profile Development
6. Community Guidelines
   1. User Support
   2. Quality Standards
7. Getting Started with Development
   1. Local Setup
   2. Testing Checklist

---

Overview

iNatSpectro is developed to serve the iNaturalist community with accurate bioacoustic analysis tools. While this is primarily a user-focused project, we welcome feedback and contributions from researchers and developers.

Reporting Issues

Bug Reports

If you encounter issues with the extension:

1. Check Current Version: Ensure you’re running the latest version (v3.4.0)
2. Check Browser Compatibility: Chrome 88+ or Firefox 85+ required
3. Describe the Issue: Include specific observation URLs where problems occur
4. Include Console Output: Any error messages in browser developer tools
5. System Information: Browser version, operating system, audio file details

Feature Requests

For new functionality requests:

• Scientific Justification: Explain the research or identification benefit
• Use Cases: Provide specific examples of when this would be useful
• Priority Level: Indicate if this addresses a critical workflow need

Technical Contributions

Development Environment

The extension uses:

• Frontend: Vanilla JavaScript with Web Audio API
• Build System: Vite with custom multi-browser configuration
• Documentation: Jekyll with Just the Docs theme
• Testing: Manual testing across browser environments

Code Standards

• Security First: No sensitive data exposure, validated input handling
• Performance: Optimized for large audio files and real-time rendering
• Compatibility: Cross-browser support (Chrome/Firefox)
• Scientific Accuracy: Proper frequency scaling and time resolution

Version History Management

Version Numbering

iNatSpectro follows semantic versioning:

• Major (x.0.0): Significant feature additions or breaking changes
• Minor (3.x.0): New features, new species profiles, substantial improvements
• Patch (3.4.x): Bug fixes, performance improvements, compatibility updates

Release Process

1. Testing Phase: Manual testing across multiple browsers and audio types
2. Documentation Update: Changelog, version references, feature descriptions
3. Build Validation: Multi-platform builds with size and permission validation
4. Store Submission: Chrome Web Store and Firefox Add-ons with proper descriptions
5. Community Notification: Update documentation and release notes

Current Version Timeline

• v3.4.0 (2025-07-23): Audio CORS fix - critical bug fix release
• v3.3.9 (2025-01-18): Stability improvements and automatic loading
• v3.3.8 (2025-01-14): Mel-scale frequency rendering
• v3.3.7 (2025-07-14): Multi-browser deployment

Research Collaboration

Academic Use

Researchers using iNatSpectro for scientific work:

• Citation: Please reference the extension in publications analyzing iNaturalist audio data
• Methodology: Document spectrogram settings used for reproducible analysis
• Feedback: Report on accuracy for different taxa and recording conditions

Species Profile Development

New species profiles require:

• Frequency Range Data: Typical vocalizations for the taxa
• Scientific References: Published research supporting parameter choices
• Testing Data: Sample recordings for validation

Community Guidelines

User Support

• Documentation First: Check existing documentation before reporting issues
• Respectful Communication: Professional and constructive feedback
• Scientific Focus: Keep discussions relevant to bioacoustic analysis

Quality Standards

• Accuracy: All information must be scientifically accurate
• Accessibility: Features should be usable by citizen scientists
• Performance: Maintain responsiveness across different hardware
• Privacy: No collection of user data or audio content

Getting Started with Development

Local Setup

1. Clone the repository
2. Install dependencies: npm install
3. Build for development: npm run build
4. Load extension in browser developer mode
5. Test with real iNaturalist observation pages

Testing Checklist

• Multiple Browsers: Chrome and Firefox compatibility
• Audio Formats: MP3, M4A, WAV, OGG support
• File Sizes: Small files (<1MB) and large files (>10MB)
• Edge Cases: Very short recordings, ultrasonic content, poor quality audio
• Performance: Memory usage with multiple tabs and long audio files

---

This guide reflects our commitment to scientific accuracy and community collaboration in bioacoustic research tools.