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Data Guideline Structure

All MEDIN Data Guidelines conform to a generalised structure or model which follows that used by the Data Archive Centres and is commensurate with other environmental data models. Each table refers to a specific component and some tables are common to all data guidelines. The tables are combined to produce the pdf documents for each specific guideline which are available here. The individual tables with associated documentation and templates are below and a schematic of how they are related available here.

1. Project Information - this table is common to all data guidelines and holds information on the wider project that the data was collected for if applicable; word, xls template

2. Survey Information - this table is common to all data guidelines and holds information that is likely to be the same for a single survey such as organisation, ship, coordinate reference systems etc; word, xls template

3. Fixed Station - In many cases a fixed point, transect or area is returned to on a number of occasions to form a time series. The actual sample event may not be in exactly the same location each time however due to ship movements or sampling strategy. However it is useful to record both the position which is intended to be sampled (fixed) and the actual sampling position (sample). Therefore, this information must be included if a fixed point, transect or area is used as the basis for replicate profiles or for repeat monitoring surveys. This table is common to all data guidelines; word, xls template

4. Sample Event - this information is specific to a technique for data capture (e.g. grab, CTD profile, trawl) and holds information relevant for each technique such as depth, date, position of sample. They include:

5. Data Production Tools - this information specifies the instruments, sampling, analytical methodologies and post processing of data that have been applied and is specific to each MEDIN Data Guideline.

6. Sample Data - this table holds the actual data which is specific to each Data Guideline

Information for deriving data guidelines

If you have been tasked with deriving a MEDIN Data Guideline then you should aim to complete it within the current structure and reuse as much of the existing information as possible. In particular it is preferable to use terminology (such as table headings) which is consistent with existing guidelines. In most cases it is preferable to expand an existing table rather than create a new one. Please contact mecha@bodc.ac.uk for further details.