Data File Structure

Most metadata and data are accessible through the Niwot Ridge LTER WWW server. Data are essentially "stand-alone" ASCII files arranged in a structure similar to that described in:

This structure is as follows:

• \log - a history of the file, including persons responsible for, as well as dates of, creation and modifications
  
• \doc - documentation, i.e., descriptive information and qualifications, with the following subsections:
  
  
  • TITLE.
    
  • ABSTRACT.
    
  • INVESTIGATOR. - particulars of contact person, i.e., name, address, phone number, email address
    
  • VARIABLES. - list of key measured and/or derived variables
    
  • KEYWORDS.
    
  • LOCATION. - location of study, as well as storage locations for samples and/or original data
    
  • TIMING. - study initiation date, study termination date, frequency of measurements
    
  • CITATIONS. - references (in chronological order) that cite data, relate to methods, etc.
    
  • COMMENTS. - information on methodologies (field, laboratory, data management), exact plot locations, problems, qualifications, ancillary data, etc.
    
• \type - e.g., statistical (in columns and rows), graphic, image, etc.
  
• \header - information on the content of data columns, with a subsection for each COL#., where # is the column number, and elements within the subsection are:
  
  • label= - i.e., the column header
    
  • type= - "string", "integer", or "real"
    
  • units= - units or "none"
    
  • missing value indicator=
    
  • minimum=
    
  • maximum=
    
  • precision=
    
• \data - the "data"
  

Caveats:
The information contained in the \log section is a history of the file itself (not necessarily its contents), i.e., the data contained therein may be older than the file. Data contained in the data sections for the great majority of these files is comma-delimited and it is anticipated that all will be comma-delimited in the near future. Nonetheless, there are a few space- or tab-delimited data sections. Commas have been chosen as field delimiters, as opposed to other delimiters or fields based on precise character-columns, because (1)data sections are of much lower maintenance than for the latter, (2)data are easily imported into other applications and programs, and (3)storage space requirements are reduced because nothing is required for missing value indicators. It should be noted that, by convention, any characters enclosed in "curly" brackets ({}) within the \data section are comments. It is expected that users of the data have familiarized themselves completely with the contents of the \doc section, particularly the COMMENTS section.