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Checking data quality

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siwhitehouse edited this page Mar 26, 2013 · 5 revisions

How data arrives in AidView

It's important to understand the data flow that supports the AidView interface so that issues with data quality can be properly investigated. In brief, it consists of the following stages:

  1. Organisations create their IATI files and post them online
  2. New files and amendments to existing files are recorded in the IATI Registry
  3. Kit's AIDVIEW DB imports new data on an increasingly frequent basis, based on what's recorded on the registry
  4. The AIDVIEW DB processes the data and pre-calculates summary values before making it available through AIDVIEW DB API.
  5. People on the AidView website/app trigger requests to the APi when they navigate the site.

Scenario: An organisation queries the accuracy of their data in AidView

It might sound obvious, but make sure you understand what the query is and preferably get an example of the error from the organisation in the form of their original file and its representation in AidView.

Having got this, a methodical way of investigating is to go through the stages listed above and investigate where the discrepancy arises first in the process.

(1&2) Go to the IATI Registry and search for the organisation with the query. Depending upon the organisation they might have just one file or a file for every country they work in. It is usually possible to find the data in question through the < iati-activity> and < title> elements within files.

Once you've got the file with the relevant activity in it then compare it with the definitions in the IATI Standard. Make sure that what the organisation has produced conforms to the standard, looking specifically at the element(s) they are questioning.

(3&4) Query the AIDVIEW DB API by entering the < iati-activity> ID in the ID field and select "Full" against the Result field. There is no need to complete any other fields on the form. You'll now see the full xml file returned by the API for that activity.

Again, using the IATI Standard as a guide, investigate if there are any discrepancies in the data and where they might have arisen.

Bear in mind that there is a time lag between organisations publishing IATI data and it appearing in AidView. This can explain discrepancies. If, however you see a discrepancy between the API and AidView then it is worth considering clearing the cache on each side. Kit can clear the API cache. To clear the AidView cache just point your browser at http://aidview.net/clear-cache

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