Abstract
========

This document presents instructions for the successful use of OPUS-Projects (hereafter referred to as OP). OP 4.0 was the first version of OP specifically designed to streamline the process by which a user processes and submits campaign-style GNSS surveys for inclusion in the National Geodetic Survey's authoritative database of survey control, known as the NGS Integrated Database, or :term:`NGS IDB <NGS IDB>`. As a result of a successful NGS review and acceptance, the project files are archived by NGS and the authoritative, least squares-adjusted coordinates are published and made available to anyone with an internet connection via the :term:`NGS Datasheets<Datasheet>`. Throughout the document, this entire process is simply referred to as :term:`submission to NGS<Submission to NGS>` and is illustrated in :numref:`Figure-i.jpg`. This document should be used as a supplement to any current NGS policies/specifications which stipulate the requirements for data submission. For projects that you plan to submit to NGS, please use the `Survey Project Proposal`_ portal to obtain an official NGS-issued GNSS :term:`Project Tracking ID<Project Tracking ID>`.

The most current version of OPUS Projects, OP 5, expands upon the functionality of OP 4 and allows for the successful use of :term:`GNSS Vector eXchange (GVX)<GVX>` files. By using the GVX file format, users now have the option to include :term:`real-time kinematic (RTK)<RTK>`/:term:`real-time network (RTN)<RTN>` GNSS vectors in their projects. 

.. _`Survey Project Proposal`: https://geodesy.noaa.gov/SurveyProposal/

.. _Figure-i.jpg:
.. figure:: ../images/Figure-i.jpg
   :width: 600 px
   :alt: OPUS Projects supports the submission of GNSS survey data to NGS for publication on Datasheets

   OPUS Projects supports the submission of GNSS survey data to NGS for publication on Datasheets