How can one declare a age plus group?

[KirstenBirchHaakansson]

Reviewing a map between RDB and RDBES for WKBIOPTIM and looking at variables in the RDB CA table I notice that Age-plus-group is missing.

This is relevant info and it should be included, but the question is where?

[edvinf]

I consider plusgroups to be typically defined i estimation. And I think the best way to address it is in defining the output formats from RDBES estimation (to be developed during estimation workshops as discussed in RDBESGOV). If someone has an age-reading protocol that allows reading to plusgroups. We should consider if the quality code AQ3_QA can be used, or if some other quality code can be added, reflecting that the read age is a lower bound..

[KirstenBirchHaakansson]

I think some countries read with a age plus group - we have it in our national database (don't use it anymore) and it was in the old RDB - we could maybe add it to ValueUnitOrScale

[edvinf]

That is probably a better option. If it is routinely read to certain plusgroups, it may not actually reflect readability of the structure and ValueUnitOrScale is a more natural place to code it.

I think it would be nice to be explicit in the documentation about the difference between estimation and recording in this case. I don't think data submitters should convert read age to plus-groups before submitting if reliable data is available at better resolution.

[KirstenBirchHaakansson]

Agree that we don't want the latter, so a FAQ? It is a bit difficult to add to the description in the data model, since the field covers so many different things

[KirstenBirchHaakansson]

Alternative 1

Use Agewrplus for the ages equal or greater than the age plus group Use Ageyearplus for the ages equal or greater than the age plus group

BVvalueMeasured | BVvalueUnitOrScale -- | -- 1 | Ageyear 2 | Ageyear 3 | Ageyear 4 | Ageyearplus 4 | Ageyearplus # Alternative 2 Use Agewrplus for the ages equal or greater than the age plus group Use Ageyearplus for the ages equal or greater than the age plus group BVvalueMeasured | BVvalueUnitOrScale | BVaccuracy -- | -- | -- 1 | Ageyearplus | 4 2 | Ageyearplus | 4 3 | Ageyearplus | 4 4 | Ageyearplus | 4 4 | Ageyearplus | 4 # Alternative 3 _Any good ideas?_

[HenrikK-N]

It was agreed that two new codes for ‘ValueUnitOrScale’ for indicating that the inserted age (or winter rings) is an age plus group (not an assessment plus group). An age plus group where for some species a age is read until a curtain age the age plus group, and all ages above that is set to the age plus group e.g. 12. Then all ages above would be indicated as age 12 and with a ‘Ageyearplus‘ or ‘Agewrplus’ in the BVvalueUnitOrScale’, instead of the common age with a ‘Ageyear‘ or ‘Agewr’. Description to be agreed at next meeting.

[nmprista]

I find the alternative proposed quite elegant and fit for purpose. props for coming up with it @KirstenBirchHaakansson.