Module 3: Network design (Open Source Air Quality Monitoring Toolkit)

Abstract

Network design is the bridge between project intent and field reality. Module 2: Defining the Project defined the problem, the audience, and the practical limits of the project. This module turns those choices into a network that can actually be installed, maintained, and interpreted over time.

The guiding question is simple: what arrangement of sites will produce useful data without creating a maintenance burden the team cannot carry? That question matters in every context, but it becomes decisive wherever power may be unstable, connectivity may be inconsistent, and access may need permission. A network that does not account for these conditions from the start is unlikely to last.

The chapters that this module synthesizes all point to the same outcome. Site selection tells you where the network should exist, deployment preparation tells you what must be ready before anyone leaves for the field, mounting tells you how to install consistently, and ongoing project monitoring tells you what to watch once the network is live. The value of this module is in joining those parts into one coherent workflow.

Navigating This Module

Read this module before choosing final sites or placing any equipment order. It is meant to help the team agree on site roles, monitor requirements, deployment responsibilities, and follow-up checks before the first field visit.

Work through the sections in order. Start with the project question, then move through network structure, practical requirements and deployment readiness, all the way to ongoing project monitoring.

Access the full toolkit here.