Intern:Method and Devices Terminology

A new PANGAEA Methods and Devices terminology (as part of the PANGAEA Terminology catalogue) has recently been developed with the aim of improving the structure of existing PANGAEA methods/devices. The existing method/device names are to be gradually mapped with the terms from the new terminology. The terminology consists of two main "branches": the “Devices” branch and the "Other methods" branch. The “Devices” branch is currently ready to use whereas the "Other methods" branch is still under construction.

Both groups, "Devices" and "Other methods", branch twice each into 2 further hierarchical levels: first in a "Level 1" (called "First order classification"), which describes the type of method/device used on a very generic level (e.g. "Sampling device", "Measuring device") and then on to "Level 2" (called "Second order classification"), which defines the method type more precisely (e.g. "Coring Devices"). But even the Level 2 description is still a fairly generic description of methods/devices. Therefore, the “Device” branch is furthermore mapped with the BODC terminology that defines device categories and devices models in more detail than the PANGAEA-own terms. Accordingly, the terminology branches even further into the BODC categories "L05 (SeaDataNet device categories)" and "L22 (SeaVoX Device Catalogue)". The use of the BODC terms helps ensuring that - within the same scientific community - the same terms are used for the same things.



Guidelines for the usage of the new PANGAEA Method and Devices terminology as of August 2021
Currently, it is largely up to the individual data editors to what extent they want to utilize the new Method and devices terms. Using them, following rules of thumb should be considered:


 * 1) When defining new methods, the terminology can, but does not have to be applied.
 * 2) Only the finest granularity level available should be selected. The terminology is structured into 5 Levels, ranging from very general terms (Level 0) to detailed device model definitions (Level 4), see Detailed structure of the PANGAEA "Methods and devices" terms, so best Level 4 (L22 terms) should be selected. If the method is not defined in such detail, a more general granularity level can be chosen instead.
 * 3) In order to find the best-matching terms, see Short guidelines on how to map methods with suitable terms (Be patient and have in mind that the workflow is not yet optimized and will get easier over time ;))
 * 4) Addition of several terms per method are possible in case a method has different components, e.g. “balance” and “mass spectrometer”. Do not add two granularity levels of the same term (i.e. broader or narrower terms of one term), but only the term of the highest granularity level (e.g. only add "Varian V75 Magnetometer" (Level 4) and not "Accelerometer" (Level 2) if both informations are available).
 * 5) If no suitable category is available yet, it might be better to wait with the mapping until the terminology has been improved, but the method can also be mapped with “Not yet classified”.
 * 6) Do not add or remove terms

In addition to the manual mapping by the data editors, it is planned to gradually map all existing methods / devices in the background using a list. In the long term, the mapping could take place via an algorithm (similar to the parameters).

Short guidelines on how to map methods with suitable terms
See here, for a screenshot-based description on how to add method/device terms to an existing or new method: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/10gJcxWaepBaIFti-HGGvCuynxfBMDcCLSECTDaBJ0QY/edit#slide=id.p

General structure

 * Level 0: "Devices" (more or less finished) and "Other methods" (under construction) - the latter represents all PANGAEA methods that do not refer to "devices".
 * Level 1: "First order classification"
 * Level 2: "Second order classification"
 * Level 3: "L05": http://vocab.nerc.ac.uk/collection/L05/current/
 * Level 4: "L22": http://vocab.nerc.ac.uk/collection/L22/current/

The "Other methods" branch of the terminology

 * Other methods (Terminology not yet completed)
 * Model calculations
 * Not yet classified
 * Human observations & sampling by hand

The "Devices" branch of the terminology:

 * Devices
 * Device platforms - No external terminology implemented at Level 3 yet
 * Aircrafts
 * Buoys, floats & profilers
 * Gliders
 * Landers
 * Moorings
 * Observatories
 * Other device platforms
 * Ships & boats
 * Towed device platforms
 * Underwater vehicles
 * Experimental equipment - Level 3 and 4 correspond to L05 and L22, respectively
 * Benthic chambers
 * Colonisation devices
 * Experimental containers (including mesocosms)
 * Other experimental equipment
 * Measuring devices - Level 3 and 4 correspond to L05 and L22, respectively
 * Accelerometers
 * Altimeters
 * Bubble & particle detectors
 * Chemical property sensors (group excludes excludes devices from the "Chromatographs and spectrometers" category)
 * Chromatographs & spectrometers
 * CTD & XBT (group excludes individual temperature and depth/pressure measuring devices (these have their own categories: "Depth & pressure sensors", "Temperature sensors"))
 * Current meters
 * Depth & pressure sensors
 * Distance & length meters
 * Hydroacoustic devices
 * Ice & snow meters
 * Imaging & multimedia devices
 * Laboratory devices (group has large overlap with other categories)
 * Magnetometers
 * Microscopes
 * Optical tools & radiometric sensors (excludes devices from the "Microscopes", "Imaging & multimedia devices", "Position & direction sensors", "Chromatographs & Spectrometers", "Radar devices", and "Remote sensing instruments" categories)
 * Other measuring devices
 * Penetrometers
 * Position & direction sensors
 * Remote sensing instruments
 * Sea level & wave recorders
 * Standard materials
 * Temperature sensors
 * Thermal conductivity meters
 * Turbidity meters
 * Weather & atmosphere meters
 * Preparation devices - Level 3 and 4 correspond to L05 and L22, respectively
 * Labelling & marking devices
 * Other preparation devices
 * Sampling devices - Level 3 and 4 correspond to L05 and L22, respectively
 * Air & aerosol samplers
 * Bags & boxes
 * Catching devices
 * Coring devices (group includes i.a. dredges, grabs, suction samplers, drills, corers, rock samplers, core loggers)
 * Gas samplers
 * Other sampling devices
 * Sediment traps
 * Water samplers

Some space for feedback
As this is work under progress, feel free to collect feedback in this document: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BIl0uQNek-KVMCL5JSh2vFx-mO00Rd50Cmw7LlNHhuU/edit