ISIS data quality campaign: transaction link rate

see your institution's transaction link rate report

The transaction link rate is one measurement of the quality of your institution's data on the ISIS global database.  ISIS uses the transaction link rate to measure how often records for the same animal submitted by different member institutions are "linked."

What does this measurement mean?
The area shown in green on your pie chart indicates what percent of your institution's records are "linked."

Why is this measurement important?
When a specimen moves from one institution to another, animal records for the same specimen are created at each institution. When this data is then submitted to ISIS, it appears in our database as two separate records. ISIS must then assemble these two separate records into an accurate history of one specimen, which we call a specimen report. This is known as "linking" the records.

However, if ISIS member data is incomplete or incorrect, a link is not made. Therefore, not all transactions for that animal appear in that animal's specimen report. In addition, it now appears that there are two separate animals when in fact, there is only one.

The quality of data for the animal records submitted by each ISIS member institution is directly related to the information ISIS makes available on a specimen report, and to the depth of the specimen pedigree presented on the ISIS Web site.

Why use the transaction link rate report?
The transaction link rate report provides you an overview of the animal data from your institution that is held in the ISIS global database. (If you have branch facilities that are also ISIS members you will see an option at the top to choose which branch to display). This report shows individuals that potentially should link, but do not.

Use the transaction link rate report to clean up your data.

1. The top table provides a summary of your link and potential links in the ISIS database.
2. The next section shows the animal that potentially should link, but currently do not.
3. By clicking on the reporting institution in the left column, you can access the individual specimen reports for the animals that failed to link. (3a. This information will appear in the lower boxes.)
4. To contact the reporting institution regarding their animal, click on the right column marked ‘send email.’
5. To show details of each failed link, select the ‘Show Details’ check box.

Note: You might sort the three left columns by clicking on the column title by which you wish the information to be sorted.

What to do with this report:
The first things to compare are transaction dates, ID numbers and taxonomic names. If these all look consistent, then check birth dates, studbook numbers, transponder numbers and house names.

Note: These listings are updated at the end of each week, so there may be some links that have not yet been made because ISIS is receiving more data relating to these animals. So if everything looks like it should link, do not spend too much time trying to figure it out.

In addition, many specimens shown in the listing are part of groups. If you have reported the group information to ISIS, then this information will not be in the list. However, if you have not reported a group to ISIS, information on this animal should appear in the listing.

How can institutions improve transaction link rates?
To improve transaction link rates, be sure that both your institution and those with whom you deal record each other's local ID numbers for every transaction. To achieve this:

1. Always contact institutions involved in your transactions
2. Send ISIS Specimen Report(s) with each animal so that the new institution can complete their record(s)
3. If another institution requests that you input their ID number(s) into your records:
   a. Verify any documentation
   b. Enter their ID numbers into your records
   
   (If you choose to omit this data from your records, you reduce the quality and value of your animal records, and  force the transaction link rates of other institutions to remain unnecessarily low.)

1. Log into the ISIS Web site
2. Select 'reports'/'transaction link' from the menu at the left of the Web page
3. Enter the taxonomic level you wish to review, your e-mail address and the dates on which you wish to work
4. Use ‘send the request’ to submit
5. After you receive a “notification of report completion” via e-mail, you may return to the request page and scroll down to view the new report

For more information regarding your transaction link reconciliation report, visit the FAQs discussion forum.