Consider making Method Description a required field

[gilbertozp]

Methods is a required field for ESS-DIVE, so it might be useful to add our "Method Description" field to the list of required fields (instead of current optional status). This would avoid us having to request methods (or manually populate from description) in review phase.

@emilyarobles, how does this sound to you?

[gilbertozp]

For consistency with long-term preservation requirements, it would be good to add a check for the Description field so that it has at least 100 words.

[vchendrix]

@emilyarobles Do you agree with this requirement?

[emilyarobles]

This is for the Method Description field right? Just want to confirm because Gilberto's response only said Description. I think that a 100 word minimum would be beneficial, however just want to note that this is not a requirement of ESS-DIVE's currently. For example, if a data contributor wants to cite a paper where methods details are already published, ESS-DIVE allows them to do so in lieu of a full methods section (although we do ask that at least high level data collection methods are added as well).

[vchendrix]

@emilyarobles Yes, this is for Method Description. Do you mind if I just put a character minium? Rather than count words? What would you suggest it be in characters?

[vchendrix]

Actually, @gilbertozp and @emilyarobles. Since I can't actually change the database configuration on this field (there are 44 datasets with no method descriptions) I will have to just add the check in the Javascript. This will only mark the field as required. Will that suffice?

[vchendrix]

@emilyarobles @gilbertozp I take that back.. I can add a min character for fields that allow blank null, I think.

[vchendrix]

@emilyarobles I should be able to do the word count....

[vchendrix]

@emilyarobles @gilbertozp The following published datasets with access level that is either NGEE Tropics or public have no Method description

ngeet=# select ngt_id, status, access_level, name from archive_api_dataset where qaqc_method_description is null and status >0 and access_level >0 order by ngt_id;
 ngt_id | status | access_level |                                                          name                                                          
--------+--------+--------------+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     13 |      2 |            2 | Leaf surface temperature and sapflow raw data, 11 March 2016 - 13 June 2016, Santarem Brazil, Km67 tower
     17 |      2 |            2 | Sapflow, Soil Water Content, Leaf Surface Temperature, San Lorenzo, Panama (PA-SLZ), 2015 - 201606
     20 |      2 |            2 | Global 4 km resolution monthly gridded Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) data set dervied from FLUXNET2015
     22 |      2 |            2 | PNM sapflow, leaf surface temp, soil TDR 2016-09-21
     49 |      2 |            1 | FAST sensitivity analysis
    124 |      2 |            2 | Raw leaf gas exchange data in the Amazon basin, 2014-2016
    127 |      2 |            2 | Raw leaf isoprene and monoterpene emission GC-MS chromatograms/calibrations for MassHunter software, Brazil, 2014-2016