from:	Whiteaker, Timothy L <whiteaker@utexas.edu>
to:	Olga Baranova - NOAA Federal <olga.baranova@noaa.gov>
date:	Tue, May 9, 2017 at 10:54 AM
subject:	RE: Archive frendly format for dataset PDLP9P
mailed-by:	utexas.edu
signed-by:	utexas.onmicrosoft.com

Dear Olga,

 

I've placed the files in a zip file at this link.

https://utexas.box.com/s/gdm8h4qfrj1y6ose5lj74hzrinrm58y7

 

However, I'd like to explain the reason why the Original-Data-Files folder was included. Researchers would send files to me, and I would reformat, standardize, and a do a little quality control on the data before loading it into our project database. The result of our project database is what's in the CSV folder that I originally submitted, with the exact same data reformatted for ArcGIS and Excel in sibling folders as a convenience to the end user.  But some researchers still wanted their original data files included in the submission because they like the formatting of it better than what is output from the project database, hence the Original-Data-Files folder.  The files in the Original-Data-Files folder do not adhere to a single data model, as each researcher has their own format, so it's not ideal for end users and is only there because some researchers required it. Saving to CSV removes some of the Excel formatting that the researchers had set up for the spreadsheets, so I don't think it carries through their intentions as well as including the original Excel files. So, while I have save things to CSV and PDF in the link above in order to be compliant and to move along this data submission, I am asking if it's OK to leave the files in their original format as per the researchers' request, knowing that end users can still get at the consistently formatted CSV results in the CSV folder. 

 

Either way, I understand and I'll go with your decision.

 

Thanks,

 

Tim Whiteaker

Research Scientist

The University of Texas at Austin
