QAQC & proprietorship
QAQC & proprietorship
shared
data ownership & property
All raw data collected in the Seagrass-Watch program is the property of the individual/group/institution (principal) who collected it, and Seagrass-Watch HQ is custodian.
When a Principal (data collector) submits data to Seagrass-Watch HQ, it does so under the proviso that Seagrass-Watch HQ can conduct a data quality assessment as part of the Seagrass-Watch program’s QAQC protocols and that the validated data is available for condition and trend reporting. Copies of raw data are provided to third parties only when permission from the principal is provided.
Ownership of data within the Seagrass-Watch program is determined by mutual agreement based on who is collecting the raw data, whether the data undergoes a quality assessment as part of Seagrass-Watch QAQC protocols and the funding sources that support the monitoring.
- Ownership (intellectual property rights) of the Raw Data lies with the Principal (data collector). Seagrass-Watch is custodian of the Raw Data.
- Ownership (intellectual property rights) of the Validated Data is shared between the Principal and Seagrass-Watch Ltd.
All data interpretation is conducted by Seagrass-Watch HQ. This ensures that the interpretation of data is consistent, unbiased and of scientific merit. Seagrass-Watch HQ also encourages peer review and assessment of published results.
high quality data
quality assurance/quality control
Seagrass-Watch HQ also ensures the QAQC protocols for the program are followed and that the program is producing data of high quality, ensuring time and resources are not wasted. Quality assurance refers to the management system by which data is collected, organised, documented and evaluated. Quality control refers to the technical means by which error is controlled.
The five indicators of QAQC that the program uses are:
- Precision: This is the degree of agreement among repeated measurements. This is controlled by conducting scientific training & using calibration sheets.
- Accuracy: This measures how close results are to a true or expected value. To do this the program requests voucher specimens of seagrasses, conducts refresher scientific training & requires observers to make photographic records (ie 27% quadrats sampled are photographed)
- Representativeness is the extent to which measurements actually represent the whole population at the time an observation was made. In the program, this is controlled by choosing sites which are representative of the location.
- Completeness is the comparison between the amount of valid, or useable, data originally planned to collect, versus how much was collected. This is ensured by employing standardised scientific methods (developed in consultation with community volunteers) which are simple and easy to use.
- Comparability is the extent to which data can be compared between sample locations or periods of time within a project or between projects. This is ensured by using standardised methods and calibration sheets and conducting regular refresher scientific training.