1

Topic: Merge Log File - Mismatch in Number of Samples

I have recently merged a number of surveys (7) into our main Marine Recorder Database at NRW - the data came in one merged out NBNData Files from a contractor.

When I check the Merge Log the number of Samples showing in the log for each survey is far more that the number of samples in the data.

If I look at a copy of the NBNData Files in Access there are indeed more sample records in the Sample than exp[ected for each survey but many of them have nulls in a large number of the fields.  There are multiple instances with the same sample Ref but different sample keys (and all of the sample only have one replicate).  Only one of these Sample key records has a full set of data.

Is it possible that these are ghost records?  And if so shouldn't the "merging out" process deal with these?  If not, should we repair and compact every contractors database we receive before merging the data into our own system?

Thanks

Stuart