Data Verification Unit

The Data Verification Unit (DVU), part of the Ethics and Compliance Office, manages the data verification function for the university. The DVU serves as a critical safety net designed to prevent the dissemination of inaccurate information about the university. Any reports, documents, publications, online postings or other materials meeting the criteria below must be submitted to the DVU for review and verification. Submission of materials to the DVU is mandatory, and approval from the DVU is required before these materials may be published, issued or disseminated in any form.

Scholarly publications are subject to Temple’s Responsible Conduct of Research guidelines and are not required to be submitted for DVU review.

What must be submitted for DVU review? 

All colleges, schools and administrative units are required to submit the following items for review and verification prior to disseminating in printed or electronic form.

• Any factual statement or document containing statistical, demographic or numerically descriptive data (this includes, but is not limited to, statements made for purposes of encouraging attendance or donations to the university); and 
• Any data submitted to accreditation bodies, government entities or rankings organizations.

There are several important items to keep in mind about the DVU submission requirements.

• Data generated as a result of research and scholarly activities conducted at Temple, including reports and data sets required by funders, peer-reviewed academic publications, conference proceedings and abstracts, are subject to Temple’s Responsible Conduct of Research guidelines as well as the standards for accuracy of funding agencies, professional organizations and publication outlets. The DVU review requirement does not apply to these data. 
• Reuse of previously approved data does not excuse you from the responsibility to submit new materials using that data for DVU review. Any document or other material meeting the above criteria must be submitted for review, even if the only data used are data that previously have been reviewed and approved by the DVU.
• For accreditation-related materials, the requirement for DVU review is in addition to, and not in place of, any existing requirements for review of accreditation materials by Jodi Levine Laufgraben, Vice Provost of Academic Affairs, Assessment and Institutional Research.  
• If you are uncertain as to whether an item must be submitted, please err on the side of review. If review is not needed, the DVU will inform you.

Examples of Materials to Submit to DVU

This list serves as a guide for examples of materials to submit to DVU and is not a comprehensive list of all items that would require DVU review.

• Rankings surveys (e.g., US News, Princeton Review)
• Accreditation reports and requests for additional information
• Governmental compliance reports 
• Applications or materials submitted for membership in societies and organizations
• Press releases for the Temple website or external news agencies
• Marketing materials including, but not limited to, advertisements, flyers, brochures, magazines, pamphlets, billboard copy, and banners that are circulated externally or could be viewed by visitors or students on campus

The following are not subject to the DVU review requirement.

• Internal use only items: emails, memos or similar communications that are provided by Temple faculty/administration/employees to Temple faculty/administrators/employees for purposes of internal discussion or decision-making and not designed for publication, distribution or posting on the Temple website or social media outlets, or any external websites or social media outlets. Materials meeting these criteria should be clearly identified as “intended for internal use only” or “not for publication.”
• Oral communications between or among Temple faculty, employees or administrators.
• Data compiled solely for the purposes of internal assessment of student learning or program effectiveness that are only shared internally at Temple as part of the university’s required self-assessment process.  (Note: Such data shall be subject to verification if or when they are used in an accreditation report or any other external forum.)

When in doubt, please contact the DVU at dvunit@temple.edu for guidance on the types of communications requiring DVU review. 

Submission Process

Materials must be submitted via email to dvunit@temple.edu.  

Emails must include a complete copy of the draft materials you wish to publish or issue, together with supporting documentation for all data. If relevant, include screenshots and/or queries for system-generated reports. Please be sure to identify the data elements and supporting documentation in sufficient manner to allow DVU personnel to follow the detailed steps taken to obtain the answers or data being submitted. Emails should also include the names of the individuals who have contributed data and reviewed the materials. An organized and well-supported submission greatly impacts the efficiency of the review.

Review and Approval

DVU review is intended as a safety net to ensure data accuracy.  The initial responsibility to create true and accurate materials remains with the school, college or unit authoring the materials.

The DVU will review the accuracy and completeness of submitted data to ensure that both the actual data figures and any statements about the data are accurate and complete. In some cases, although the number may be correct, the written interpretation or description of the number may be inaccurate or potentially misleading.

Review most often will involve a collaborative process with open communication between DVU staff and the authoring school, college or unit. The process can be found in the DVU Process Flow document (pdf).

Once review is complete, the DVU will provide written approval. Written DVU approval is required before the school, college or unit may complete and publish or issue any materials submitted for review.

Contact

Questions about the DVU process should be directed to the DVU at dvunit@temple.edu.