---
title: "remove data row instead of deletion for data editors."
url: "https://openforis.support/questions/3742/remove-data-row-instead-of-deletion-for-data-editors"
tags: ["arena", "arena-mobile"]
status: "accepted"
score: 0
answer_count: 1
asked: "2023-08-05T10:55:34"
last_activity: "2023-08-08T20:39:44"
source: "Open Foris Support - Q&A Forum"
license: "Copyright Open Foris, 2026. Some rights reserved under creative commons license."
---

# remove data row instead of deletion for data editors.

Asked by Rajkumar on 2023-08-05

Thank you so much. Arena Mobile is currently in its initial working stage, progressing step by step. My interest in using Arena stems from the fact that our field surveyors conduct independent forest surveys, analysis, and report preparation. Arena proves to be an invaluable tool, greatly streamlining their workflow. As a result, I have designed various surveys tailored to their specific areas of focus. This tool has the potential to revolutionize their work methods, fulfilling their requirements.

One notable feature is that data editors can now export their data, which is a positive development. However, there is a concern regarding the ability to delete their own data. This raises the possibility of significant data loss across the entire country. To address this, I propose implementing a system where data editors can remove outdated survey data, but this data remains preserved in the system after submission to the server. Alternatively, deleted data could remain accessible to higher-level personnel than the data editors.

This approach would safeguard against unintentional data deletion by data editors. Instead, individuals at higher organizational levels would manage data cleansing as needed over time, addressing issues such as duplicates, outdated records, or identical locations. This refined dataset would then be utilized across a vast landscape in the future. Thank you very much.


## Accepted answer (score 1, by Stefano (OF) on 2023-08-08)

Link: https://openforis.support/questions/3742/remove-data-row-instead-of-deletion-for-data-editors/3744

Dear user,  
Many thanks for your suggestions. We will discuss them internally and let you know when we will have a final solution.  
However, it can happen that a data entry user creates a record by mistake: in that case he/she should be able to delete it.  
Also, we will add soon (in Arena Mobile) the possibility to "lock" a record once the data collection process is finished, to prevent possible mistaken changes applied to an already existing record.  
Many thanks,  
Open Foris Team