Store data with appropriate precision

Data should not be entered with higher precision than they were collected in (e.g if a device collects data to 2dp, an Excel file should not present it to 5 dp). If the system stores data in higher precision, care needs to be taken when exporting to ASCII. E.g. calculation in Excel will be done to the highest possible precision of the system, which is not related to the precision of the original data.

Cite this best practice:

DataONE Best Practices Working Group, DataONE  (September 01, 2011) "Best Practice: Store data with appropriate precision". Accessed through the Data Management Skillbuilding Hub at https://dataoneorg.github.io/Education/bestpractices/store-data-with on Mar 01, 2024