Back to Help
Workflows

QA review workflow

After field data is synced, the QA review process ensures observations are complete, accurate, and ready for reporting.

flowchart TD
    A[Observations Synced] --> B[Open QA Review]
    B --> C[Filter by Project / Status]
    C --> D[Review Observation]
    D --> E{Quality OK?}
    E -->|Yes| F[Approve]
    E -->|No| G[Flag for Re-survey]
    G --> H[Researcher Notified]
    H --> I[Researcher Corrects]
    I --> D
    F --> J{More to review?}
    J -->|Yes| D
    J -->|No| K[Check Coverage Map]
    K --> L{Gaps found?}
    L -->|Yes| M[Request Additional Fieldwork]
    L -->|No| N[Generate Reports]

    style A fill:#2D6A4F,color:#fff
    style N fill:#2D6A4F,color:#fff

The review process

1. Open QA Review

Go to QA Review in the sidebar. All synced observations appear here, grouped by survey.

2. Filter observations

Use the filters to focus on a specific project, survey, or status. Start with Pending status to see unreviewed observations.

3. Review each observation

Check for:

  • Required fields that are blank or have implausible values
  • GPS coordinates outside the site boundary
  • Photos that don't match the form data
  • Inconsistent species identifications
  • Missing or duplicate records

4. Approve or flag

  • Approve — the observation meets quality standards and will be included in reports
  • Flag — add a note explaining what needs correction. The field researcher is notified

5. Check coverage

Use the Coverage page to verify spatial coverage — which sampling units have data, which are missing. Identify gaps before closing a survey.

6. Generate reports

Once all observations are approved, proceed to report generation. Only approved observations are included in reports by default.

Bulk actions

Select multiple observations using checkboxes and apply Bulk Approve or Bulk Flag for efficient review of large datasets.

Observation statuses

StatusMeaning
PendingSynced but not reviewed
ApprovedAccepted for reporting
FlaggedReturned for correction
Re-survey RequestedNew field visit required

Related articles

Ready to try TerraSitu?

Start your free trial — no credit card required.

Start Free Trial