1 Topic by Matt Smith (edited by Matt Smith 22-11-2013 13:07:27)

  • Matt Smith
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Topic: How do I manage this data access request?

Another query regarding data access and data downloads, though this is more aimed at the Admin side.

I recived this data access request:
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Ben Welbourn has requested better access to the following dataset that you administer through the NBN Gateway: BRAG - Berkshire Reptile and Amphibian Records .

They would like to use the records for 'Conservation NGO work', and has provided a more detailed explanation as follows:
I work for the CWP (authors of the CWP LBAP) and we carry out conservation work on several UKBAP and LBAP species in the project area.  It would help to have as complete a dataset as possible for these species when planning surveys etc.

The request is for:
All sensitive and non-sensitive records overlap the boundary of Cotswold Water Park Biodiversity Action Plan
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All well and good - the user has a valid reason for wanting the records and he has specified a particular area that he wants records for.  From an Admin point of view I have a number of questions.

1) Why have I recived this data access request?.  I can find an outline of the "Cotswold Water Park" site on the NBN, it seems to cover 3 10k squares.  I don't think I have any data in my dataset for this site, but without either looking or mapping out all the records species by species it would hard to check.  Does the "request data for a site" not just send an access request to those datasets with records falling within the target area boundary?

2)  If I did have data, how would I allow this request.  I cannot see any way of selecting records by named site or allowing only selective downloads or records from with a site boundary.  If I were to grant the request the user would only seem to be able to take a download of the full data set, which is not what I or he wants.



My query is basicly, how would I provide them without giveing permission for the download of the whole dataset?  How do I select the subset of data / records that are wanted?

2 Reply by Graham French

  • Graham French
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Re: How do I manage this data access request?

Hello Matt

The request is for records that are within or overlap the 'Cotswold Water Park Biodiversity Action Plan' LBAP boundary site which looking on the Gateway is bigger than 3 10km squares. When granting this request, enhanced access to records should automatically just be for that site and not the whole dataset. The site name should appear in the data request text in the granted access requests table

Best wishes

Graham
NBN Technical Liaison Officer

Graham French's Website

3 Reply by Matt Smith

  • Matt Smith
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Re: How do I manage this data access request?

Thanks for the reply.  A couple of comments as a result.

I've checked my dataset and the site name - there are two very similar site names with different site boundaries ('Cotswold Water Park' and 'Cotswold Water Park Biodiversity Action Plan')  The second of these does have 1 record from my dataset within it, so I'm happy that it is a "real" request.

If I look up the 'Cotswold Water Park' site boundaries by going via the "Taxa" (Triturus cristatus) > List of Sites > Cotswold Water Park I see a yellow area on the map which I presume is the area occuped by this site.  If I look at the same site via the "Browse sites" > 'Cotswold Water Park' this yellow area is not displayed.  Possibly a bug here?

Given that the Gateway can generate a list of records from within a defined boundary on the map, would it not be possible for dataset Admins to have a similar sort of facility to generate a "temporary" site for the purposes of selecting records for a user to download.  This links in somewhat to the comments in another thread on data requests where we are seeing somewhat largescale requests for access to whole datasets from commercial organisations when we would normally expect these sorts of requests to be specified as "within X km of grid reference AB123456". 

Being able to set up a "temporary" site  - ie not one that would remain on the NBN for all time - where we could provide time limited download facilites for specified data would I think be a very useful tool for Dataset Admins, and go some way to dealing with the concerns of "large scale" download requests.

4 Reply by Matt Smith

  • Matt Smith
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Re: How do I manage this data access request?

Interestingly, I've just tried to grant the request and had the message:  "No records would be granted by this request, we recommend you close this request".

5 Reply by Graham French

  • Graham French
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Re: How do I manage this data access request?

Hello Matt

The first route Taxa" (Triturus cristatus) > List of Sites > Cotswold Water Park goes straight to the species report for the site showing the records and grid squares on the map. The second route Browse sites" > 'Cotswold Water Park' goes to the taxon groups page for the site where the map does not show the grid squares. Drilling down to Triturus cristatus from this route will end up in the same place as the first route, showing records and grid squares on the map.

The no records message is occurring for requests for records within fully public access datasets, for example the Tachinid Recording Scheme dataset. A fix was released last week which should reduce these requests but there are outstanding requests in the system that were created before this fix. I think your example is one of these.

I have added your suggestion for data administrators to be able to set up temportary sites to manage access requests.

Best wishes

Graham
NBN Technical Liaison Officer

Graham French's Website