linking protocol to dataset

[Tim Bergsma]

Peter, others,

I'm wrestling with the relationship between a protocol and a dataset.

In my local data management system, a dataset can 'have' an associated
protocol.  But in eml, a dataset cannot have a protocol:  it can only
have a methods that has a methodStep that has a protocol.  

In fact, in my local system, a dataset can have any number of named
methods, and any number of named protocols.  But eml clearly expects
that a dataset has only one methods.  The only way I can see to
stipulate multiple, independent methods is to create multiple
methodSteps, and poke the descriptions into TextType.  Same for
protocols.  Clearly this was not how methodStep was intended.

MethodStep repeats, but also the choice of
methodStep/sampling/qualityControl repeats.  Correct me if I'm wrong: 
choosing methodStep twice will look exactly like choosing it once but
having two methodSteps.  Consequentially, there's no mechanism to signal
that one sequence of methodSteps is independent of a second sequence of
methodSteps.

Unless review of RC2 flags this as a certifiable flaw, it's not going to
change now.  I have a very real problem that some of my datasets don't
have records of actual activity (methods), they only have protocols.  I
could spoof the methods/methodStep tags and poke each protocol into a
textType.  For datasets with multiple, independent methods, I guess I'll
have to poke each into a sequential methodSteps, even if they are not
sequentially related.  Please comment.

Tim.



Tim Bergsma
LTER Information Manager
W.K. Kellogg Biological Station
Michigan State University
Hickory Corners, MI   49060
616/671-2337
tbergsma at kbs.msu.edu
http://lter.kbs.msu.edu