Validation Reference

Universal Required Fields

These fields are required in nearly every data type:

Field Purpose Example
id Unique identifier mbo_dataset_001
metadataPublisherId Who is publishing this metadata mbo_person_001
metadataDescribedForActionId Research activity this describes mbo_action_001

Additional Required Fields by Data Type

Dataset: - name - Dataset title - description - What the dataset contains - keywords - Searchable terms - containsVariablesMboIds - What was measured

Person: - name - Full name - givenName - First name
- familyName - Last name

Organization: - name - Organization name - organizationType - Type of organization

Action: - name - Activity name - description - What was done - agentId - Who performed the action

Place: - name - Location name

[Additional types follow similar patterns - see full field documentation]

Validation Rules

ID Uniqueness: Each id must be unique across all sheets. You cannot reuse the same ID for different entities.

Reference Validation: Fields ending in Id or Ids must reference existing records in other sheets.

Format Validation: - Dates: ISO 8601 format (YYYY-MM-DD) - URLs: Must include protocol (https://, http://) - Emails: Standard email format - IDs: Must match pattern mbo_[type]_[number]

Multivalued Fields: Use pipe separator (|) for multiple values: value1|value2|value3

Common Validation Errors

"Required field empty": - Solution: Fill in all fields with bold headers and yellow backgrounds

"Invalid reference": - Solution: Ensure referenced IDs exist in the target sheet - Check dropdown menus for valid options

"Duplicate ID": - Solution: Use unique IDs across all sheets - IDs highlighted in red indicate duplicates

"Invalid format": - Solution: Check format requirements (dates, URLs, emails) - See field tooltips for format examples

Troubleshooting Process

  1. Check error messages: Validation errors provide specific details about what's wrong
  2. Review field tooltips: Hover over column headers for guidance
  3. Verify references: Ensure referenced records exist
  4. Check required fields: Confirm all mandatory fields are completed
  5. Contact support: If unclear, reach out to the WP1 team

Reference Relationships

Understanding how records connect:

  • Dataset references Person/Organization (authors, publishers)
  • Dataset references Place (study locations)
  • Dataset references PropertyValue (measured variables)
  • Action references Person/Organization (who performed it)
  • All records reference Action (research context)

Plan your data entry to create referenced records before records that reference them.