ESS-DIVE Reporting Format for Sample-based Water and Soil Chemistry Measurements

Abstract

The ESS-DIVE (Environmental Systems Science Data Infrastructure for a Virtual Ecosystem) reporting format for sample-based water and soil chemistry measurements are written guidelines and spreadsheet templates, that facilitate archiving water/soil/sediment chemistry data. The templates and terminology lists provided as part of the reporting format can help organize data and potentially enable data reuse.The reporting format consists of a general instructions file (instructions.md) as well as more detailed instructions files for each template (files beginning “Detailed_Instructions_*.md). The “examples” folder includes an example of each data template with just the limited set of required fields filled out as well as other examples with both required and optional fields complete.The 'templates' folder contains CSV templates for data, methods, and terminology file templates. Similar to the examples folder, the blank templates are provided with versions for required fields only as well as required and optional fields. Lastly, the term list folder provides common terminology used in each of the templates as well as a definition and any constraints for the fields.