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How To Capture Water Quality Results Electronically on WMS - Contents Page |
Next: Chapter
2: Preparing data for import
Role: Information Supervisors
This chapter
will help you to capture water quality data into a spreadsheet in a format that
can be imported into WMS with the Electronic Data Capture functions.
WMS can
import many electronic data formats if programmed to do so and the data is in a
format that can be read by a computer. MSWord documents may represent data
electronically but is not in a format that can be converted for computer data
imports. Likewise, many spreadsheet formats are designed for human use rather
than computer usage. Electronic documents falling into this category is
typically where the repetitive or identification information is presented in
the form of a heading. The heading usually contains the monitoring point or
sampling dates. If you are in doubt whether your electronic data is in a format
that can be programmed for electronic import into WMS log a call to the
development team and ask.
If your data
comes in a format that can be imported electronically log a call to get a
computer program written for the specific format.
If your data
come in on a paper copy or format incompatible with computer reading, then
write a letter to the organisation providing the data and ask them to provide
your data in an electronic format. The specific format the WMS development team
recommend is called a ?fixed? format
for which a computer program already exists. Propose this format to your data
providers and send them electronic copies on how the data should be entered. Example
document.
The request
for data in electronic format should be in a formal letter, signed by your
manager, to emphasise its importance.
You can also
capture data from paper copies in the ?fixed? format template and import the
data into WMS.
Capturing
your data on an electronic template rather than using the WMS manual (Register
Results) capture method, is error-prone, and once the data is in WMS, the only
way to correct any mistakes is to request the database administrators to delete
all the imported data of one session and import it again. This is a difficult
procedure and very costly. Quality assurance and correctness is thus very
important. Anybody can type the data into a spreadsheet but only an experienced
and highly responsible person should do quality assurance and importation of
the data.
The ?fixed?
format electronic import template is recommended since it corresponds well with
the information on your paper copies and it requires minimum information.
It is
important to organise your working environment in such a way that you can keep
a trace of the data already captured electronically and the data already
imported into WMS. Many data capturers may work with the data over time, so it
is best to store the captured data on a LAN folder. Make sure that write access
to these folders is limited to information supervisors only.
Organise the
data in such a way that it reflects the way your office organisation works and
duplicate your filing system by creating folders on computer in the same way.
Follow this
process:
In the ?data
provider folder? create a spreadsheet and enter every electronic data file
captured. Save this spreadsheet with the same name as the ?data provider
folder?
The following
fields are needed:
Additional
fields may be added such as the data provider name, dates captured, etc if a
record of productivity is important. The number of fields and content is
dependent on each office?s requirements.
In the ?Data
provider folder? you can create a spreadsheet with all the monitoring points as
named by the data provider and the WMS Monitoring Point Id?s.
You can also
create a spreadsheet with the monitoring variables with measuring units as
named by the data provider and the equivalent WMS Variable Id and Unit id.
The relevant
monitoring program IDs and specific consolidated samples and analysis
information may come in handy at a later stage.
Creating
these files will help tremendously during the import process.
Keep the
?fixed format? template in this folder.
All the data
files will be stored in the respective ?monitoring point folder?, unless you further
subdivide this folder into ?date folders?.
For
every monitoring point or points, create a ?fixed format? spreadsheet template
containing all the heading and static information, such as the monitoring point
name, variables, units and laboratory. Use this template when capturing data.
Data template example.
When
capturing data, copy and paste, the information from the template into a new
file and fill in the date, time, qualifier, numerical value and other changing
information. Save the document in such a way that it reflects the monitoring
point and date uniquely so that it is easily identifiable and not over written
by another document saving process. Make sure that all the date fields are
formatted as dates and specifically in the standard date format ?yyyy-mm-dd?.
Time fields should be in the format ?HH:MM:ss?.
Specific
templates enable data capturers to enter data quickly and accurately.
A
data capturer must quality assure the captured data before signing it
over to another data capturer to double check.
We all make
mistakes and often do not see them when checking our own work because the same
physical process is involved in checking as in capturing data. Ensure that a
second person re-checks the captured data.
Data captured
by other organisations such as consultants, RQS or Resource Planning, should be
re-checked by your office.
When this
process is completed satisfactorily, the datasheet signed off and a record
entered into the data provider file, the next process can be started i.e. Chapter
2: Preparing data for import