Granularity

Following the data model, in principle the granularity of a data contribution is defined as one to many data sets per event. The definition of the granularity depends on the scientific field, the topology of a usefull data set and its size. The size should allow a download over the Internet in an acceptable time. A set might consist of e.g. all parameters belonging to one analysis or method or category.

Data entities are structered in a hierarchical tree. Starting from a
 * 1) single analytical value, data are mostly organized in sequences with an (increasing) geocode in space (e.g. depth) or relative/absolute time. Such a sequence of one to many data points forms a
 * 2) data series, described by one parameter with relations to event, method, PI and an optional comment. One to several data series are forming a
 * 3) data set which is the major data granule in the archive; data are imported in data sets and are provided on the Internet in a similar configuration. Data sets have relations to authors (staff) and references and are citable. One to many data sets may be grouped to a
 * 4) collection to form an overall entity. The collection has an official bibliographic citation and is added to the TIB library catalog GetInfo.

Examples of typical data set granules are:
 * Physical oceanography from one cruise
 * Grain size distribution of one sediment core
 * Photos from one sea-bed ROV station
 * Mineralogy of surface sediments from a defined set of samples
 * Isotopes measured in a biological object
 * Oxygen lander profile through the water/sediment interface
 * Time series with oceanographic measurements over one year
 * Seismic profile