Checklist when changing or adding a variable or tmp project

We have had some pitfalls over time when Setting up a new tmp project, making changes to the data we collect or adding fields. This is a checklist so we can avoid making the same mistake twice.

Please contribute to the checklist if you remember something

• how "collectable" is the requested variable?
  • Where would it be in the chart (a spot for this is included in the instructions for Creating a new project article )
  • how reliable is the charting, do we want a guess if charting is not clear, what are the guidelines for the guess, and is it better to leave it at "use your judgment" rather than provide guidelines that may just raise more questions
  • do we want a "not found" entry so the entry can't just be forgotten if optional

• cross-checks:
  • add them early but as soft checks, then turn them hard once we have not seen false positives in the first ?2 weeks?

• define exact use of the data early:
  • if you think you want a count, do you actually want a proportion, and if so what will be your N?

• when changing a variable, review all under the "what links here" link for that element's wiki page to make sure anything that depends on it will still make sense after the change

• Update the page to the new instructions (rather than using it as a "We are changing... " message). If the change needs to be known to make sense of the data in the future, document the relevant information in under a "legacy information" heading near the bottom of the page
  • Exception: Change Explainer Pages

• consider the Data Meaning Layer, integrate the change however this might get implemented