Archival Guidance for
Major River Basin and Principal Aquifer Team Reports

Steps Toward Achiving MRB and PA Report Data for Internal Use:

1) Identify the data sets that need to be archived

Archival data sets for MRB and PA reports include those data sets that would be needed by a scientist, in addition to the information in the report’s ‘Methods’ section, to reproduce the report's final results and conclusions. These data sets should include raw, computed, and analysis data files. Examples may include, but are not limited to: tabular data; models; scripts; and GIS spatial data layers. Tabular data must be in a non-proprietary format (i.e., ASCII files, preferably tab-delimited) and all data need to be documented with metadata.

• Additional guidance for archiving scientific data: http://water.usgs.gov/usgs/srm/
• Policy memos: http://water.usgs.gov/usgs/srm/policy_memos.html
• Training materials that describe archival policies and requirements for ground-water models: http://water.usgs.gov/usgs/srm/training_exchange.html

2) Prepare a brief data archival plan to guide your effort.

A data archival plan should be developed by authors early during the report process to help identify archival sets and to outline the tasks and timeline required for data archival. An example data archival plan is provided for web viewing or download (.doc).  Include a list of data sets that need to be archived and list of tasks associated with archiving each data set. These tasks may include: converting excel spreadsheets to ascii files and documenting data sets. Documentation may include (but is not limited to) descriptions of field names, processing steps (if not included in the report), models and/or source data.

3) Prepare your report archival file(s).

The amount of time required to archive report data will vary and may be dependent on such factors as, how well data sets are documented during the analysis phase of the report or the types and extent of data sets being archived (i.e. GIS spatial data may require more time than tabular data sets.). The example MRB/PA report archival files provided as part of this guidance took anywhere from 20 to 60 hours to prepare. 

Tabular data sets: Both metadata and data will be contained in the same ascii report archival file. The report archival file will begin with metadata and will be followed by the data column headers and values. A blank archival template and example report archival files are provided below and can be used as templates to create archival files for your specific report. If the example files do not exactly meet your needs, they may be customized to suit your specific report needs. For discussion purposes, the report archival file will be divided into two sections: metadata and data. The two sections can be prepared separately and joined together once each section is completed, to create the final report archival file. Create as many report archival files as needed, to adequately document and archive your report data.

Metadata Section

The report archival file begins with the metadata and can be divided into the following sections:

Data Set Name:  Include name, description, format and URL of report archival data set.

Report Title:  Include report title, report series/number (journal name/volume), and URL for report.

NAWQA study: Include MRB unit number and name or PA name.

Metadata date and contact:  Include metadata dates and contact information for metadata primary and secondary contacts.

Metadata data description:  Include brief abstract for data set and any pertinent information needed to describe procedures or data set processing.  Also, list other spatial and tabular archival data sets that are associated with this report.

Metadata basic data elements:  Include list of column headers that follow in data file. Detailed descriptions of column headers will follow in the next section. This is just intended to be a quick list.

Metadata detailed data elements:  Include detailed documentation for each data field listed in basic data elements and in data file.  Detailed documentation of each data field includes Data Field Group (if applicable), Data Field Label, Data Field Description, Data Field Length/Type, Data Units, Data Source, Data Retrieval Date, and Data Field Subdescription (i.e. list and description of codes or categories if applicable).

Data Section: 

Following the metadata section of the report archival will be the actual data file that includes the column header or field name (first row of data file), followed by the data field description (length and type of data field) as the second row, followed by the data values (third and subsequent rows). Data should be in ascii format, preferably tab-delimited.

Blank Report Archival Template

Example Report Archival Files:

Example archival data sets and associated metadata are provided from PA and MRB reports, as well as the 2006 USGS NAWQA Pesticide and VOC circulars:

MRB Report Archival Example: Report data for Trends in Nutrients and Suspended Sediment in the Missouri River Basin, 1993 – 2003, by Lori Sprague and others, 2006. (mrb4a.baseflow.nox.loads.txt, mrb4a.baseflow.nox.txt, mrb4a.baseflow.q.txt, mrb4a.drainagebasins.txt, mrb4a.explanatory.10.txt, mrb4a.explanatory.100.txt, mrb4a.explanatory.spsed.txt, mrb4a.nh3.txt, mrb4a.nox.85.03.txt, mrb4a.nox.txt, mrb4a.op.85.03.txt, mrb4a.op.txt, mrb4a.ptsrc.n.txt, mrb4a.q.85.03.txt, mrb4a.q.sussed.loads.txt, mrb4a.q.txt, mrb4a.ss.85.03.txt, mrb4a.ss.txt, mrb4a.sussed.loads.calibration.txt, mrb4a.sussed.loads.txt, mrb4a.tn.85.03.txt, mrb4a.tn.txt, mrb4a.tp.85.03.txt, mrb4a.tp.txt)

PA Report Archival Example: Report data for Piedmont Report by Bruce Lindsey (piedmont_main_data.txt, piedmont_pesticides.txt, piedmont_vocs.txt)

USGS Pesticide Circular 1291 (Gilliom, R.J. and others, 2006) http://ca.water.usgs.gov/pnsp/pubs/circ1291/appendix6/

USGS VOC Circular 1292 (Zogorski, J. S. and others, 2006) http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa/vocs/national_assessment/data/index.html

GIS spatial data layers:

Work with your Water Science Center GIS Specialist to help create metadata for any GIS spatial data layers that will accompany your report. Example metadata. Guidance for creating metadata for GIS spatial data layers can be found at: http://gio.usgs.gov/egis/metadata.

4) Prepare a report archival file summary.

Prepare an ASCII file that lists and briefly describes all the report archival files that were created to document your report (mrb4a.archival_file_summary.txt). It is recommended that authors create a zip file that contains all report data archival files, along with the summary file for distribution to colleague and MRB/PA reviewers.

5) Submit report data archival files for colleague and MRB/PA review when the report is sent for colleague review.

Report data archival files will be sent through the colleague review process, along with the report and will continue to be reviewed by PA and MRB reviewers, Sharon Qi and Dave Reutter, respectively. Large archival data files should be posted on the USGS ftp site for reviewers to download rather than sent as email attachments.

Colleague Review:  Include your report archival data sets and associated metadata in your colleague review packet and send out for colleague review. Indicate to colleague reviewers that these data sets will accompany your report. The colleague review step has been added to 1) ensure that report data archival is being completed in a timely manner and with the funds that were provided to the author(s) as part of the report budget, 2) ensure that the necessary data fields are archived to independently reproduce key findings of the report, and 3) provide the critical review needed so report data archival files could be served to the public through the USGS Publications Warehouse.

Colleague reviewers should take the following into consideration during their review:

1. Are all of the important supporting data sets included in data archival packet?
2. Are the necessary data fields present to generate critical tables and figures in the report?

MRB/PA Review:  Send your archived data sets and associated metadata for review to the designated MRB archival reviewer (Dave Reutter) or PA archival reviewer (Sharon Qi) at the same time your report data archival files are sent to colleague review.

The MRB/PA reviewer will serve as an independent person to determine if the:

1. metadata and associated data meet the format of the example data archival template
2. metadata are complete, clear, logical, and consistent
3. data fields are clearly named and defined
4. data tables are in a tab-delimited format.

6) Address colleague and MRB/PA review comments.

Address colleague review and MRB/PA data archival review comments; then submit report archival data files to the MRB or PA Webmaster, indicated in step 7.  If there are no changes, request that your MRB/PA reviewer send your report archival data files directly to the MRB/PA webmaster.

 7) Send report archival data to MRB or PA Webmaster when the report is submitted for Approval.

Send your reviewed report archival data files to the PA or MRB webmaster (Sharon Qi and Dan Sullivan, respectively) at the same time as you send the report to Approval.  MRB and PA Webmasters will store your archival data sets in a central repository (one for MRB reports and one for PA reports) and provide a link to archival data sets from the internal and public (if so determined) MRB and PA web pages.  

return to top of page