Chapter 35 QA/QC Visualization

The QA/QC Visualization allows you to create tables summarizing testing status of samples to highlight potential data quality problems in your sample data. Emails containing these tables can be sent by the Warehouse to specific Users on a regular schedule as part of your workflow to aid in trouble-shooting data issues.

35.1 Creating a QA/QC Visualization

To create a QA/QC Visualization, complete the following steps:

  • Title (required): Create a title for your visualization to help you keep track of your visualizations. It will appear in the dashboard, so it should be both descriptive and concise. You may use characters, numbers, and symbols.

  • Comments: Add additional comments for future reference. These comments will be displayed above the visualization.

  • Display: These options control how visualizations are presented in the visualization dashboard.

    • Weight is used to order visualizations. Visualizations with lower weight values will be presented in the dashboard above those with higher weight values. This value defaults to 9999 (the lowest position on menus).

    • Display on visualization dashboard for all users is used to control whether non-administrative users should be shown this visualization. If you want all users to be able to view this visualization, check the box. If you would prefer that this visualization be available only to Provider Administrators in your agency, do not check this box. This value defaults to un-selected, so must be selected if you want others to see this visualization.

    • Tag category is used to display the visualization under the selected heading on the dashboard. See the section under Introducing Visualizations.

    • If provided, the Thumbnail will be used as the preview image of the visualization on the dashboard.

  • Visualization input

    • Season year (optional): Select from the drop-down list the season year(s) of samples to be shown in the visualization.

    • Species (optional): Select from the drop-down list the species of samples to be displayed.

    • Sample source (optional): Select from the drop-down list the sample source(s) of the samples to be displayed.

    • Use the check boxes to include or not include samples without tests, tests awaiting samples, samples without a definitive test, and confidential samples.

    • Confidential reason (optional): Select from the drop-down list the confidential reason(s) of samples.

    The default condition is for all samples to be included in the visualization if no selections are made. However, “samples without tests” and “samples without a definitive test” tables will never include confidential samples. If “Include confidential samples” is checked then only users with permissions to view confidential samples will be presented that table when viewing this visualization. The “Confidential samples” table and data will never be part of an outgoing email.

  • Email schedule The email function can be used to send the QA/QC visualization automatically to specific users by checking the “Enabled” box and filling out the requested information. If the “Enabled” box is not checked, a single email will be sent on the day and time selected below:

    • To (required): email address of recipient

    • CC: email address of people to receive copies

    • BCC: email address of people to be copied blindly

    • All Provider users, except disabled accounts and visitors, will receive a copy via BCC by checking the “BCC system users” box.

    • Subject (optional): the title of the visualization will be used by default.

    • Comments (optional): these will be displayed as part of the email.

    A table of data (.csv file) can be included as an email attachment by checking the “Attach CSV table data” box.

    Indicate the email schedule by checking the box(es) of days for emails to be sent and enter the time (24:00 US Eastern timezone).

Click OK to create the visualization.

35.2 Viewing the QA/QC Visualization

Select the thumbnail from the Visualizations dashboard. Depending on the number of samples in the Sample Collection, it may take some time for the visualization table to appear. After the Warehouse has summarized the sample and test data, a table will appear with samples meeting the input conditions. Scroll through the list to find the different sections of sample/test combinations.

You can edit samples and their test results by clicking on any in the list. The table will be automatically updated.

Changes to inputs for the visualization can be made by clicking on the edit icon (pencil) at the top right of the visualization. The visualization will be automatically updated.