Volume 3 of the Ocean Data Standards Manual is now available:
Recommendation for a Quality Flag Scheme for the Exchange of Oceanographic and Marine Meteorological Data.  

IODE Quality Flag Standard

The purpose of the recommended IODE Quality Flag Standard is to define a common set of quality flags that can be used by data centres and projects.

The objective of data quality control of oceanographic data is to ensure the data consistency within a single data set and within a collection of data sets, and to ensure that the quality and errors of the data are apparent to the user, who has sufficient information to assess its suitability for a task. Data quality flags provide the user of the data with clear information about actions taken to change the original data.

Ocean Data Standards Pilot Project

In 2008, the joint IODE/JCOMM Forum on Oceanographic Data Management and Exchange Standards established the Ocean Data Standards Pilot Project.

One of the objectives of this Project is to initiate discussions on a limited set of topics for which it is felt that broad agreement is possible and to achieve broad agreement and commitment to adopt key standards related to ocean data management and exchange to facilitate exchange between data centres and contributing programmes. A second objective is to establish an internationally recognized process for submitting proposed standards and their acceptance by the ocean community.