IEDRO Data Rescue
&
Digitization
Manual for Quality Control Volunteers
Updated 2/24/2009
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IEDRO Quality Control Volunteer
The objective of this manual is to outline the data rescue and digitization process and
provide detailed instructions to our quality control (QC) volunteers.
Overview of the Data Rescue and Digitization (DR&D) Process
IEDRO data rescue projects begin at the headquarters of the various foreign national
meteorological (weather) services in developing countries. When a project is funded,
IEDRO sends a volunteer to the sponsoring country to help its meteorological service
personnel locate and sort their data, acquire and install computer and camera
equipment, and train the site’s data rescue personnel.
The two-phase process begins with data rescue and concludes with data digitization.
Each is explained below:
Data rescue consists of locating old weather observations recorded on deteriorating
paper, having personnel from originating countries take digital photographs of each
page of data, copying the photographs to portable storage media (e.g., CDs, floppies,
flash drives, etc.) and sending them to IEDRO. You, the IEDRO QC volunteer, perform
quality checks on the photographs of rescued data to ensure the images are readable;
making a record of those images that need to be redone.
The next phase, data digitization, takes place when photographs, stored on portable
media, are sent by IEDRO to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA) at their National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) in Ashville, NC. An NCDC
employee or government contractor will display each image and manually key in the
photographed weather observations and download them into NOAA’s database. (This
database is accessible to the world community for research, education, and operational
forecasting.) Upon completion NCDC will send a complete set of digitized data to the
country of origin.
Duties of an IEDRO QC Volunteer
Your duties as a QC volunteer are to review and ensure every image of weather
observation is visible and readable. Save a QC table for findings on the portable storage
unit sent to you.
IEDRO Image QC Volunteer Procedures
IEDRO sends an email stating how many photographs are in need of review and asks if
you will be able to check them within two weeks. If you indicate you are able to
undertake a QC review; IEDRO will send you the following materials:
 Portable media; each will contain a blank copy of the QC table.
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
A supply of self-addressed/stamped portable media mailers.

A hard copy of the QC table.
Please email IEDRO when you receive these materials before you begin the QC process.
If anything is missing, please notify us immediately.
Follow the steps outlined to complete a review:
1. Load an image-filled portable media into your computer drive.
2. You may print out a blank QC table; which is stored on the portable media and
fill out the hard copy version or you may key in your observations electronically.
In either case, so as not to lose data if there are computer problems, save the QC
table frequently as you conduct your review.

Open the first file folder.

Systematically open subfolders until you get to a collection of files and can
display images.

When you open a file, note its name in the QC table.
3. When you have opened an image file, carefully check to see if the image clearly
shows the following “metadata” [metadata is text that indicates when and where
the observation was taken]:

Observation station name

Observation station number

Observation date

Observation hours
4. If any information is not clear for the above fields, note it under that column in
the QC table.
5. Zoom in on the image as necessary to read the data values. Note: Do not concern
yourself with the actual values. The person digitizing the data into the NOAA
database is responsible for quality checking this information.
6. When you have completely reviewed the images on a portable storage unit, save
a copy of the QC table on the media unit and return the storage unit to IEDRO.
When a portable media unit contains images that are perfect, cite on the QC table
under Remarks, “No re-imaging.”
7. After you have reviewed a media unit, send us an email identifying the media
unit you have completed then mail it back to us.
8. Mail us a hard copy of the QC table along with the portable storage unit and
continue working on the next unit of images.
9. Start the procedure over for the next media unit.
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Filling in the QC Table
The following problems can lead to an image being rejected and should be noted in the
Remarks section on the table. Note: Do not reject an image due to the observer’s
penmanship; this cannot be changed.

Image out of focus.

Data obscured due to glare from photo-flash or other light.

Image too dark to be read.

Data missing from image (paper not centered on copy stand, not lying flat or
data obscured by a crease in the paper).

Other (anything you wish to say).
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Examples of IEDRO Quality Control Tables
The images the two examples below are unacceptable. The reasons are noted in the
Remarks section of the table.
Country: Dominican Republic
Date of QC: 10/07/08
Example 1
Volunteer: R.Crouthamel
DSCN7185
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Example 2
Country: Chile
Date of QC: 10/07/08
Volunteer: R.Crouthamel
PuntaArenas 12-1896001
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