There are a number of columns that crop up in various places throughout the model. We have created the following data dictionary in order to try and encourage consistency.
You should follow this for new code and if you find a column name that doesn’t, you should fix it!
Tip: Ctrl+Shift+F or Edit>Find In Files allow you to find all matches for a string across multiple scripts in R Studio, so you can make sure there aren’t any scripts trying to call a column that no longer exists!
| Correct Column Name | Description | Data Class | Values | Possible Incorrect Names |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| local_authority | This is the name of the local authority. | Character | Should be consistent with the official LA list. | LA_Name, la_name, authority |
| jpp | An ID number used to identify local authorities. | Numeric | Should be consistent with the official LA list. Special attention should be paid to WasteDataFlow which uses some different values. | JPP, jpp_code, jppCode |
| country | Country which the LA resides in or data is relevant to. | Character | Either “England”, “Wales,”Scotland” or “NI” | Country, countryString |
| local_authority_group | The grouping that we have assigned a local authority to. | Character | Currently should be deprivation group followed by rurality, e.g. “low_rural”. The “Inaccessible Rural” group is an exception to this. | LA_class, class, LA_group |
| local_authority_type | Determined by the functions that a given authority fulfils, which could be waste collection, disposal or both. | Character | “WCA”, “WDA” or “Unitary” | LA_type, la_type |