---
title: "Selecting attributes for linking between cycles"
url: "https://openforis.support/questions/4185/selecting-attributes-for-linking-between-cycles"
tags: ["arena", "arena-mobile"]
status: "answered"
score: 0
answer_count: 3
asked: "2025-02-28T00:28:47"
last_activity: "2025-03-14T17:34:26"
source: "Open Foris Support - Q&A Forum"
license: "Copyright Open Foris, 2026. Some rights reserved under creative commons license."
---

# Selecting attributes for linking between cycles

Asked by TJZeevi on 2025-02-28

Hi,

My team is developing a survey used by several tablets in cycles. We want to have the previous cycle's data available on the survey for only certain attributes, in order to inform our data collection crews' while not introducing bias with access to the full data set.

For example, we want crews to see if a tree was previously alive or dead, but not it's previous height. This prevents error propagation across cycles and maintains objectivity.

We've considered two approaches:

1) Data cloning- While we can select attributes for cloning, two issues arise:
First, old data prepopulates fields which is prone to error as it requires deletion before entering new values. Second, cloned data includes all trees, not just those monitored by a specific tablet which will cause trouble when merging at the end of that cycle (as there are multiple tablets working at once, and work is dynamic, we cannot use the exact same tablets for the same trees every cycle, and have to clone fully merged datasets).

2) Data linking- This improved access to previous data without prepopulation. But, linking consumes a lot of interface space with previous-cycle dropdowns for every attribute (even when it is a key attribute or an extra property- which won't change between cycles anyway). And, it still risks introducing bias in data collection.

Therefore, we wanted to ask whether there can be an option "included in linked data" for attributes? that would serve as space efficient, selective, and error-resistant method for accessing previous data.

Apologies for the long question, and thank you very much!


## Answer (score 1, by Stefano (OF) on 2025-02-28)

Link: https://openforis.support/questions/4185/selecting-attributes-for-linking-between-cycles/4187

Dear User,  
Thank you very much for your suggestion. We appreciate you taking the time to share your feedback. We believe the option you've proposed would be feasible to implement.  
We will discuss this internally and provide you with an update regarding its potential availability in the future.  
Thank you again,  
Open Foris Team


## Answer (score 1, by Stefano (OF) on 2025-03-13)

Link: https://openforis.support/questions/4185/selecting-attributes-for-linking-between-cycles/4193

Dear user,  
A new option **Include in previous cycle link** has been added in the attribute editor, under the tab **Mobile App**:  
![alt text][1]  
(this option works only with the latest version of Arena Mobile 2).  
Please let us know if it fits your needs!  
Many thanks,  
Open Foris Team

  [1]: https://openforis.support/upfiles/Screenshot_from_2025-03-13_09-56-15.png


## Answer (score 0, by TJZeevi on 2025-03-14)

Link: https://openforis.support/questions/4185/selecting-attributes-for-linking-between-cycles/4194

Hi,

Thank you so much for this option. I tested it in a couple of surveys and it is exactly what we needed. I really appreciate your effort to make this an option.


Thank you!
Tamar