An introduction to MEDIN Data Guidelines

What MEDIN data guidelines are not… Protocols for collection methods Prescriptive of how you have to collect and store your data Metadata schema MEDIN guidelines are Data Archive Standards: They provide a list of information that should be collected with your data to ensure they can be re-used in the future.

Data guidelines Instill good practice amongst users Allow contracting organizations to specify a format that data should be returned in that can be readily used and includes all relevant attributes Provide a consistent format for contractors to work to (rather than a different format for each contract) Allow easy ingestion of data to Data Archiving Centres Improve interoperability between organizations by providing a format which can be used  to import and export data

Relationship to Discovery Metadata MEDIN discovery metadata – allows the non-informed user to discover data. MEDIN data guidelines - all the information that will make your data re-useable Some of the information which is collected at the Survey Level in a data guideline is also required to create a discovery metadata record. It is intended that the information collected at the ‘Survey Information’ level is useful for creating a MEDIN discovery metadata record. Some overlap .... we don’t want to ask for data twice, but we have included all the critical information you need to understand the data.

One size does not fit all Our data model has to encompass everything from a sighting by a member of the public to a complex cruise survey or a historical time series! Guidelines are themed by method and split into levels Where possible levels work across methods These standard kits can be bolted together in different ways if needed for complex surveys (e.g. where collecting data using different methods in a single survey)

Data Guideline Structure 3 requirements: General Metadata Project Survey Detailed Metadata Methods Data Station Sample Event Sample Data Common to all guidelines Specific to each guideline Each table refers to a specific component and some tables are common to all data guidelines. The tables are: Project - a collection of surveys that have been completed for a common purpose Survey - a uniquely identifiable programme of data collection such as a research cruise, moored instrument deployment or survey Fixed Station – a target location used as the basis for replicate sample events and for repeat monitoring surveys Sample Event – a sample specific event of data collection Sampling Methodology (Data Production Tools) – Details of any method or instruments used to collect the data Sample Data – the data

Data guidelines

Data guidelines Zip file contains: 1. readme file 2. pdf document of the Data Guideline 3. excel template of the Data Guideline Download latest version from website Mandatory/Conditional/Optional Same information

Data Guidelines Summary Check list Detailed guidance Title www.oceannet.org Title MEDIN data guideline for sediment sampling by grab or core for benthos MEDIN Discipline Marine Biodiversity Author(s) M. Charlesworth, B. Seeley, S. Wilkinson Document Owner C. Postlethwaite Reviewed by MEDIN Data Standards Group Date reviewed 20 July 2012 Version 4.1 Date approved and published on MEDIN website Date last checked for accuracy 26 September 2013

Data Guidelines Introduction Summary Check list Detailed guidance 1.1 What are MEDIN compliant data? There are 3 requirements to ensure that your benthic data using a grab or core are MEDIN compliant: You supply General Metadata about your data – See Appendix A You supply Detailed Metadata about your data – This may be included in a survey/cruise report or as additional metadata – See Appendix B Your data are in a format that MEDIN accepts – See Appendix C

Data Guidelines Survey Information: Summary Check list Detailed guidance Data Guidelines Additional items: Please provide as much of the following information as possible to help others assess your data:   Survey Information: originalCRS transformation depthCRS verticalAccuracy platformType platformName cruiseReportReference Confidentiality Survey Information: This information is mandatory and must be supplied with your data to ensure it can be reused:   surveyName surveyType surveyAbstract surveyCode originator owner surveyStartDate surveyEndDate timeZone spatialCRS positionFix horizontalAccuracy

Data Guidelines Summary Check list Detailed guidance Method Information:   This information must be supplied with your data to ensure it can be reused:   Field Title MCO Description Recommended Controlled Vocabulary or Format Examples methodID M Method Identifier. A unique code for the methods to allow links to be built between this and sample event data. Free text; TIMES4376 samplingDevice The type of sampling device used. Controlled Vocabulary; SeadataNet Platform Classes, Table L051 at http://seadatanet.maris2.nl/v_bodc_vocab/welcome.aspx/ ; Day Grab code = DA

Exceptions If transferring historic data then some mandatory fields may be omitted The guideline can be extended to suit specific requirements

Data Guideline template

Practical Aim – to familiarise yourselves with the structure and content of a Data Guideline. Find the Data Guidelines page on the MEDIN website. Which data guidelines look relevant to your work? Is there an obvious gap for your work? Open the Data Guideline for species and benthos data collected by dredge or trawl surveys from your desktop (the pdf) Start to fill in the data guideline as if you were on survey