My data nightmare: don't look away
Posted by HeatonEmily
My worst experiences with data stated in 2009 and is ongoing. I had just gotten a job at a satisfactory unversity (this one - yay!) and been awarded my first grant - life was fantastisc! But I didn’t think I had enough money to hire a grad student to run the experiment, so I decided to teach undergrads to collect the data, then analyze and write things up myself.So I hired (presumably) numbers-savvy, ag engineers and taught them how to collect plant data in the field. I made them templates for worksheets to enter data in the field, and set up Excel files into which they should enter that data in the lab. Then I looked away. Within a few short months, I had multiple versions of my ‘master files’. Now, years later, I am still trying to sort things out and write up that project. This experience stands out to me because it is not unique - it can be very difficult to share responsibilities in data collection/curation. There has got to be a better way, because team projects are much more fun, but necessitate seamless transfer of data and knowledge between team members. I am looking forward to making better data decisions in the future, thanks to this class.
66.media.tumblr.com