RecentTechnologiesAvailableforSCAT
Mobiledatacollectionapplicationsanddevices• Improvementsinmobiledevices(smartphones/tablets)withrespecttostorage/processing,cameraqualityandGPScompatibilitiesoverrecentyearsmakethemidealforSCATfieldwork
• VarietyofdifferentapplicationscurrentlyavailableformobiledevicesthatcanbeusedforSCAT:generaldatacollectionappsorappsdevelopedspecificallyforSCAT
• Collectionononedevice:Oilingattributes,photographs,GPSdata
AdvantagesrealizedintheShorelineCleanupAssessmentTechnique(SCAT)dataworkflowusingrecenttechnologies
ABSTRACTTheShorelineCleanupAssessmentTechnique(SCAT)processcontinuestoevolvewitheveryoilspillresponseutilizingtechnologiesavailableatthetimetoprovidethemostaccuratedocumentationoftheextentofoiling.TheSCATdataworkflow,however,hasremainedconsistentoverthepastseveraldecadesandtypicallyentailscollectingdatainthefieldusingnotebooks,handheldGPSunitsanddigitalcameras,transcribingthesedataontopaperforms,andthenmanuallyenteringthemintoadatabase.Whilethistraditionalworkflowhasproveneffectiveithaslimitationswhichcanaffectthedisseminationofaccurateandtimelyinformationtodecision makersandmayunintentionallyintroduceerrorsintothedata.AnimprovedSCATdataworkflowusingrecenttechnologiescandecreasedataprocessingstepsandtimerequirementswhileincreasingdataaccuracyinseveralfacetsoftheprocess.Thisworkflowinvolvesusingamobiledatacollectiondeviceinthefieldtocapturephotographsalongwithattributeandgeospatialdata.Thesedataareuploadedtoaweb‐enableddatabasewherefieldteammemberscompleteandreviewtheirdata,datamanagersapprovethedata,andresponsepersonnelcansearchandreviewdataformsonceapproved.Fieldtestingofthisimprovedworkflowhasshowndecreaseddataprocessingtime,amorerobustyetstreamlinedqualityassuranceandqualitycontrolprocess(QA/QC),andeasieraccesstothedatawhencomparedtoa traditionalSCATworkflow.WhiletheimprovedworkflowentailsashiftingofthetraditionallearningcurveandanincreasedrelianceonmoremoderntechnologythantraditionalSCATworkflows,thebenefitsaresignificant.
Summary• TraditionalSCATworkflowisdated,timeconsumingandpronetoerrors
• Recenttechnologiesallowforanimprovedworkflowwhichcanaddresstheseissues
• ThisimprovedSCATworkflowdecreasesdataprocessinganderrorsbutalsohaddisadvantageswhichneedtobeconsidered
Advantages1. Mobileapplicationscancontrolthedataentryvocabularydecreasingthechanceofdataentryerrorsandalsoprovidereal‐timemapsandaddedlayerstoincreasethespatialawarenessforthefieldteams.
2. Multipledatasources(oilingattributes,photographs,spatialdata)arecollectedusingonesource(mobiledevices)decreasingthemultiplesteprequiredtogatherandprocessallthedata,andlimitingthechanceofthedatabeingdisconnectedfromeachother.
3. Fewerprocessingstepsandreviewofthedatabytheteammembersdecreasethechanceofintroducederrorsintheworkflow.
4. Asingle,accessibleandqueryabledatarepositoryforpersonnelintheSCATprogramtofindandaccessthemostuptodateapproveddata.
5. Overallquickeraccesstomoreaccuratedata.
Disadvantages1. Anincreasedrelianceontechnology,bothinthefieldandinthecommandpostmeansadditionalworktomaintainequipment.
2. Alearningcurveassociatedwithunderstandingandusingmobiledevices,mobileapplicationsandweb‐enableddatabases.
3. Preparingandsettinguptheworkflowforanincidentrequiresmoreplanningandworkthanprovidingpaperformstoteammembers.
AndrewGraham,TravisScott,StephanGmurPolarisAppliedSciencesInc.,12529131stCourtNE,Kirkland,[email protected]
CurrentSCATdataworkflow• Notebooksorpaperformstocollectoilingattributes• HandheldGPSforspatialdataanddigitalcameraforphotographs• PaperSCATformscompletedbyhand,thenmanuallyenteredintoalimitedaccessdatabase
• PhotosandGPSdataprocessedseparatelythenstoredindifferentlocations
• DataprocessedbyGISpersonnelintofinalSCATsummaryproducts(maps/reports)
ImprovedSCATdataworkflow• UseofmobiledatacollectiondevicestocollectSCATdataincludingoilingattributes,photographs,GPSdata
• Uploadtoweb‐enableddatabase• Datareviewandapprovalbyteammembers(fieldpersonnel)• Datareviewandapprovalbydatamanagers/QAQCpersonnel• Datapublished,allowingothersintheresponseandSCATprogramtosearch,accessandreviewfinaldata
• DataexportsprocessedbyGISpersonnelintofinalSCATsummaryproducts(maps/reports)
Web‐enableddatabase• Serverbasedtoallowaccessfromanyinternetconnecteddevice• Multi‐useraccess,tieredpermissions• Singlerepositoryforalldatatypes• AbilitytosearchforandaccesspreviousSCATdata(forms/photos/GPS)
Limitations• Multipleprocessing/handlingstepscanintroduceerrors
• ProcessingandQA/QCperformedbydifferentpersonnelthanthosewhocollectedthedata,increasingthechanceforerrorsandinconsistencies
• Dataaredisconnectedandnoteasilyrelatedtoeachother
• Reports/statusforspecificsegmentsandareasarelimitedtopaperformatsandthesupportingdataandphotographsarenoteasilyaccessible
• Timelinessofdataavailabilitydelaysdecisionmaking
SchematicshowingcurrentSCATworkflowwhichentailsmultipledatasources,processingpaths,QA/QChandlinganddifferentfinalrepositories.
Multipledatasourcesthatneedtobemanagedandprocessed.
SchematicshowingimprovedSCATdataworkflowwhichdecreasesdatasourcesandhandlingsteps.
Useofworkflowcomponentsinthefield,duringmultipleSCATteamexercises,andduringSCATtrainingclassesprovideddetailedfeedbackandshowedkeyadvantagesanddisadvantages.
ExamplesofaSCATdatacollectionapplicationshowingdataentrylayout(left),controlleddataselectionoptions(center),real‐timemapwithadditionalinformationlayers(right).
ExamplesofaSCATweb‐enableddatabaseshowinganoilingsummaryform(left),searchoptionsandresults(right),mapandqueryingofcollecteddata(center).
Fieldworkandexercisesusingmobiledevicesandweb‐enableddatabasetoexplorethenewworkflow.
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