Egon’s Reference Lab
Thousands of photographs in the GBFans.com archive still need someone to say what’s in them. Look at a photo, answer Yes, No or Not sure, and help put the right tags on the gallery, so fans can find every photo of a prop, a ghost or a cast member.
From the archive
Photographs researchers have already confirmed, each now a reference example for what it shows.
Terror Dog Statute 
Terror Dog 
Sage / Pacific Resistor 
Kate McKinnon
Why it matters
A photo is only as useful as its tags. Builders matching a prop, writers checking a scene and collectors comparing versions all rely on finding every photo of the thing they care about. Some photo-matching software we run on our own computer points out photos that look like ones we’ve already tagged, but it can’t tell what’s in a photo. That’s where fans come in: when enough researchers agree, the gallery’s tags follow, and our team can correct anything.
How it works
- Each round asks one kind of question about one subject: is it in this photo, is this outline it, are these two the same.
- Answer Yes, No or Not sure. Not sure is always a fine answer, and reporting a bad photo never costs anything.
- Every answer earns XP, raises your Lab Level and, in time, your Lab Rank. Nothing is ever taken away.
- Every ten observations there’s a checkpoint, and your work is saved to the GBFans.com Reference Archive.
Questions
What is Egon's Reference Lab?
Reference research on GBFans.com. We're working through thousands of photographs in the GBFans.com archive, and fans like you help identify what's in them, compare reference material and settle results nobody is sure of yet. The lab is a bit of fun; the work is real, and it builds the GBFans.com Reference Archive.
Do I need to be a Ghostbusters expert?
No. Most questions come with reference examples of what to look for: open them any time, and tap one to see it large. If you can't tell, Not sure is always a fine answer.
What if I get it wrong?
That's fine. Nothing is ever taken away, and Not sure never costs anything. Some of the answers we compare with turn out to be wrong themselves. When researchers disagree, the sample is examined again: disagreement is useful data. If a photo is blurry or broken, or something looks off, report it from the menu and our team takes a look.
How do XP, levels and ranks work?
Every Yes, No or Not sure earns XP at the next checkpoint, and an answer earns more later once it helps settle the photo. A report our team acts on earns XP too. XP raises your Lab Level, and levels bring promotions from Lab Assistant up to Head Researcher; levels go on after that. Neither ever goes down.
Can I choose what to work on?
Yes. Choose a subject on the Lab's home: one subject, a whole topic, or Any subject, where the Lab picks what most needs help. Change subject at any checkpoint switches.
Can I play longer rounds?
Yes. Once enough of your answers have been checked against samples the lab has verified, and they hold up, Extended Research opens in Settings: rounds of up to 50 questions on one subject, with one checkpoint at the end.
What is a Lab Partners round?
Now and then a round is a Lab Partners round. At its checkpoint, your observations are compared with ones other researchers recorded earlier. Agreeing earns nothing extra, and a difference is never a mistake.
Can I play on my phone?
Yes. It works in your phone's browser. Install puts it on your home screen so it opens like an app; on an iPhone, it shows you how.
What happens to my answers?
Each answer is an observation. When enough different researchers agree about a photo, its gallery tags follow. Someone on our team can step in and correct anything, and a few people changing their minds won't flip a tag back and forth. How much your observations in a topic count depends on how well your past work there matched photos our experts already know, never on your Lab Rank.
Am I training an AI?
No. Nothing you answer trains anything, and your answers stay on GBFans.com. They help put the right tags on photos in the gallery, so fans can find every photo of a prop, a ghost or a cast member.
Where do the photos come from?
From the GBFans.com gallery. Some photo-matching software we run on our own computer points out photos that look like ones we've already tagged. It isn't connected to any AI company, and it can't tell what's in a photo. That's where you come in.