DateType for sampling and analysis

[Brian Westra]

Hi all,

I am curating some datasets which have two important date ranges: dates when environmental samples or biospecimens were collected, and dates (sometimes months or even years later) when the chemical analysis of those samples were conducted.

Both of these might fall under "dateType: Collected," but if they are both present in a record, it may lead to confusion.

The data to be published is from the analysis, but in cases of environmental exposure, it seems like a Date field for sample collection is also reflective of being FAIR-aligned. So structured metadata seems like a better idea than a text field, or only a description in a readme file.

What is the best practice for this kind of record?

Thanks,

Brian