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Initial Teacher Training record 2015/16

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Validation


Version 1.0 Produced 2015-04-30

HESA has developed extensive quality assurance procedures and runs a range of automated validation checks (quality rules) against all submissions. This document describes the different stages of quality rules and at what point during the submission process they are applied.

Files must be encoded with UTF-8 and schema validation will be in place to ensure this. HE providers must specify the encoding used in their XML files in the first line of the file (i.e. <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>) and to ensure that their files are actually saved with that encoding. If XML files are edited with some text editors and the encoding is not specified or does not match the actual file encoding, there may be problems when submitting these files for validation.

Business stage validation

Business stage validation (previously INSERT-stage validation) are checks on the structure and logic of an individual submission. There are two types of validation checks carried out at business stage:

Schema checks

Checks that the XML is 'well formed' and that it conforms to the rules of the schema definition (the XSD files)

Examples:

  • Every element in the file must have the correct opening and closing tags
  • Elements must be correctly nested
  • Elements must contain the correct type of data (strings, dates, valid entries etc.)
  • Elements must be submitted in the sequence defined in the XSD

Business stage quality rules

A set of rules to check the business logic of the submission.

Examples:

  • Consistency between pairs or groups of elements
  • Elements that are compulsory under certain circumstances
  • Range checks

Note that business stage quality rules can only be carried out when all structural errors (schema checks) have been resolved.

Validation kit checks

HESA provide a downloadable validation kit to assist providers in the preparation of their data. The validation kit provides some basic structural and 'sense' checks prior to data submission with the aim of reducing the number of errors encountered when submitting data to the data collection system. The validation kit performs the two different types of business stage validation.

Business stage quality rules can be switched off when running data through the validation kit, both locally and at HESA. Schema checks can never be switched off.

Validation kit software

The validation kit is now available for download as an MSI installation file. To install the software you simply need to run the MSI file on a Windows PC. If you do not have access to a Windows PC, please contact Institutional Liaison ([email protected]) for further instructions.

When the validation program is opened it automatically checks the HESA web server for the latest set of rules and updates the package if appropriate.

A quick start guide is included in the application.

The kit utilises the Microsoft .NET framework. This is likely to already be installed on many computers as it is required by much of Microsoft's own software. You can download the .Net framework from Microsoft's website.

If you have any queries with regard to the validation kit then please contact Institutional Liaison ([email protected]).


Need help?

Contact Liaison by email or on +44 (0)1242 388 531.