Workflow
SJAC's analysts follow a strict workflow for the analysis of Actors and Bulletins. The workflow is enforced in Bayanat's UI and can only be overridden by an administrator.
This workflow serves as a project management tool within Bayanat. It allows users to filter the data by its status and provides useful insights into the team's progress.
SJAC's workflow and the statuses are shipped in Bayanat by default, but other users can add or remove status and make changes to this flow.
Flowchart
The following chart describes the workflow designed by SJAC for its data analysis process:
List of statuses
- Machine Created
- Human Created
- Assigned
- Updated
- Peer Review Assigned
- Peer Reviewed
- Revisited
- Senior Updated
- Senior Reviewed
- Machine Updated
- Finalized
Process
Initial statuses
When Actor/Bulletin/Incident is created in Bayanat, it will have either Human Created or Machine Created status, depending on whether it was created by a user or automatically imported.
Analysis
This is the main part of the analysis workflow. Items in this phase are transformed from their raw condition to a processed state that can be filtered and linked to other items in the database.
Administrators or Moderators can assign items to analysts, changing the items status from their initial status to Assigned. The assignee can find items under this status and due to be processed using the "Assigned to me" shortcut. After processing these items, their status will be changed to Updated. The items can be updated as many times as required in this status by the assignee.
Review
Peer review is an essential part of the analysis workflow. Not only it is the main tool for quality control of the analysis, in addition, it can be used as a learning tool, especially for new members of the data analysis team.
Administrators or Moderators can assign items processed by analysts to other analysts for review, using the Peer Review Assigned status. At this point the original assignee (the "Owner") can't make updates to the item until it's reviewed by the reviewer.
The reviewer could have several peer review assignments simultaneously, all of which can be found under the "My Review List" tab in Bayanat for each of the different items (Actors, Bulletins, or Incidents).
The Review Process
The reviewer goes through each item in an assignment, and reviews everything related to it: titles, locations, labels, and every other field. The reviewer must NOT (and also lacks the ability to) make any changes inside the items. Instead, the reviewer accesses a review mode where they can view the items and all related information without the ability to modify anything. The reviewer also has access to the full list of labels and locations inside the review mode for reference.
When the reviewer finishes, they leave a decision and a comment indicating the result:
- No Review Needed: The reviewer did not find any issues. The review process is over, and the owner does not need to revisit the item.
- Needs Review: The reviewer found issues that require the owner's attention. The reviewer must leave a comment explaining the nature of the issue.
Comment Format Convention
Use the following format for standardized review feedback:
-Label— a label already added to the item needs to be removed+Label— a missing label needs to be added*Text— a possible mistake or any additional comment for the owner
The Revisit Process
When the reviewer finishes reviewing all items in a peer review assignment and marks it as "Completed", this creates a "Revisit" assignment for the owners of the reviewed items. The owner only needs to revisit items flagged as "Needs Review" and can use the search function to filter these items. For each flagged item, the owner checks the reviewer's comment and applies the advised changes.
If the owner disagrees with any feedback, they should discuss it with the reviewer. The reviewer must explain their reasoning. If they fail to agree, they can ask a Senior DA to review the item and provide feedback. Once all flagged items are revisited, the owner closes the "Revisit" assignment, and the review process is complete.
Senior Actions
Administrators have the ability to make changes to all items in the database. While they are able to choose any status, the convention is to use Senior Updated or Senior Reviewed.
Machine Actions
Machine Updated status is reserved for actions carried out automatically using a script or a tool within Bayanat.