Feature release! Data Verification
There is a new feature just released in the Semantic Engine!
Now, after you have written your schema you can use this schema to enter and verify data using your web browser.
Find the link to the new tool in the Quick Link lists, after you have uploaded a schema. Watch our video tutorial on how to easily create your own schema.
Add data
The Data Entry Web tool lets you upload your schema and then you can optionally upload a dataset. If you choose to upload a dataset, remember that Agri-food Data Canada and the Semantic Engine tool never receive your data. Instead, your data is ‘uploaded’ into your browser and all the data processing happens locally.
If you don’t want to upload a dataset, you can skip this step and go right to the end where you can enter and verify your data in the web browser. You add rows of blank data using the ‘Add rows’ button at the bottom and then enter the data. You can hover over the ?’s to see what data is expected, or click on the ‘verification rules’ to see the schema again to help you enter your data.
If you upload your dataset you will be able to use the ‘match attributes’ feature. If your schema and your dataset use the same column headers (aka variables or attributes), then the DEW tool will automatically match those columns with the corresponding schema attributes. Your list of unmatched data column headers are listed in the unassigned variables box to help you identify what is still available to be matched. You can create a match by selecting the correct column name in the associated drop-down. By selecting the column name you can unmatch an assigned match.
Matching data does two things:
1) Lets you verify the data in a data column (aka variable or attribute) against the rules of the schema. No matching, no verification.
2) When you export data from the DEW tool you have the option of renaming your column names to the schema name. This will automate future matching attempts and can also help you harmonize your dataset to the schema. No matching, no renaming.
Verify data
After you have either entered or ‘uploaded’ data, it is time to use one of the important tools of DEW – the verification tool! (read our blog post about why it is verification and not validation).
Verification works by comparing the data you have entered against the rules of the schema. It can only verify against the schema rules so if the rule isn’t documented or described correctly in the schema it won’t verify correctly either. You can always schedule a consultation with ADC to receive one-on-one help with writing your schema.
In the above example you can see the first variable/attribute/column is called farm and the DEW tool displays it as a list to select items from. In your schema you would set this feature up by making an attribute a list (aka entry codes). The other errors we can see in this table are the times. When looking up the schema rules (either via the link to verification rules which pops up the schema for reference, or by hovering over the column’s ?) you can see the expected time should be in ISO standard (HH:MM:SS), which means two digits for hour. The correct times would be something like 09:15:00. These format rules and more are available as the format overlay in the Semantic Engine when writing your schema. See the figure below for an example of adding a format rule to a schema using the Semantic Engine.
Export data
A key thing to remember, because ADC and the Semantic Engine don’t ever store your data, if you leave the webpage, you lose the data! After you have done all the hard work of fixing your data you will want to export the data to keep your results.
You have a few choices when you export the data. If you export to .csv you have the option of keeping your original data headers or changing your headers to the matched schema attributes. When you export to Excel you will generate an Excel following our Data Entry Excel template. The first sheet will contain all the schema documentation and then next sheet will contain your data with the matching schema attribute names.
The new Data Entry Web tool of the Semantic Engine can help you enter and verify your data. Reuse your schema and improve your data quality using these tools available at the the Semantic Engine.
Written by Carly Huitema
