Value of Metadata Lesson 8: Value of Metadata CC image by John Norris on Flickr

Value of Metadata Illustrate the value of metadata to data users, data providers, and organizations Describe the utility of metadata for a variety of scenarios CC image by PictureYouth on Flickr

Value of Metadata After completing this lesson, the participant will be able to: o Identify 3 reasons metadata is of value to data users, data developers, and organizations o List 3 uses for metadata, beyond discovery of data CC image by ccarlstead on Flickr

Value of Metadata Plan Collect AssureDescribePreserveDiscoverIntegrateAnalyze

Value of Metadata Data developers Data users Organizations Metadata helps…

Value of Metadata Metadata allows data developers to: o Avoid data duplication o Share reliable information o Publicize efforts – promote the work of a scientist and his/her contributions to a field of study CC image by US Embassy Guyana on Flickr

Value of Metadata Metadata gives a user the ability to: o Search, retrieve, and evaluate data set information from both inside and outside an organization o Find data: Determine what data exists for a geographic location and/or topic o Determine applicability: Decide if a data set meets a particular need o Discover how to acquire the dataset you identified; process and use the dataset

Value of Metadata Metadata helps ensure an organizations investment in data: o Documentation of data processing steps, quality control, definitions, data uses, and restrictions o Ability to use data after initial intended purpose Transcends people and time: o Offers data permanence o Creates institutional memory Advertises an organizations research: o Creates possible new partnerships and collaborations through data sharing

Value of Metadata DATA DETAILS Time of data development Specific details about problems with individual items or specific dates are lost relatively rapidly General details about datasets are lost through time Accident or technology change may make data unusable Retirement or career change makes access to mental storage difficult or unlikely Loss of data developer leads to loss of remaining information TIME (From Michener et al 1997)

Value of Metadata TIME DATA DETAILS Sound information management, including metadata development, can arrest the loss of dataset detail.

Value of Metadata Metadata can support: o data distribution o data management o project management If it is: o considered a component of the data o created during data development o populated with rich content derive classify collect planimetricimagery analysis alternative committee review PLAN charette meta

Value of Metadata metadata publication data portals data discovery

Value of Metadata The descriptive content of the metadata file can be used to identify, assess, and access available data resources. online access order process contacts use constraints access constraints data quality availability/pricing keywords geographic location time period attributes

Value of Metadata A metadata collection can be published to the Internet via: o website catalog o web accessible folder (waf) o Z39.50 metadata clearinghouse o metadata service o geospatial data portal Internet Metadata CollectionUser Query Internet / Intranet Dataset

Value of Metadata Examples of Federal and National Portals: o USGS USGS Core Science Metadata Clearinghouse: o Geodata Portal Federal e-gov geospatial data portal o ArcGIS Online ESRI sponsored national geospatial data portal o GeoConnections Discovery Portal (Canada)

Value of Metadata

Data Accountability Discovery & Re-use Maintenance & Update Data Liability

Value of Metadata Data Maintenance: o Are the data current? Do we have data older than ten years? was before some political or geophysical event that resulted in significant change? o Are the data valid? prior to most current source data prior to most current methodologies Data Update: o Contact information o Distribution policies, availability, pricing, URLs o New derivations of the dataset

Value of Metadata Metadata marketing in the past… If you create metadata, other people can discover your data New and improved message… If you create metadata, you can find your own data

Value of Metadata Find your data by: o themes / attributes o geographic location o time ranges o analytical methods used o sources and contributors o data quality Discoverable data is usable data! CC image by Oceanit Daily Photo on Flickr

Value of Metadata Metadata is an exercise in data accountability. It requires you to assess: o What do you know about the dataset? o What dont you know about the dataset? o What should you know about the dataset? Are you willing to associate yourself with the metadata record ?

Value of Metadata Metadata allows you to repeat scientific process if: o methodologies are defined o variables are defined o analytical parameters are defined Metadata allows you to defend your scientific process: o demonstrate process o increasingly GIS-savvy public requires metadata for consumer information INPUT RESULTS

Value of Metadata Metadata is a declaration of: Purpose o the originators intended application of the data Use Constraints o inappropriate applications of the data Completeness o features or geographies excluded from the data Distribution Liability o explicit liability of the data producer and assumed liability of the consumer What to do. What not to do…

Value of Metadata Project Monitoring Project Coordination Project Planning Contract Deliverables

Value of Metadata Metadata records can serve as a project design document: o descriptions & intent of project o geographic and temporal extent of project o source data of project o attribute requirements of project Benefits: o expectations are clearly outlined o metadata is integrated into the process o provides a medium to record progress

Value of Metadata Use metadata to monitor: o data development status o QA/QC assessments o needed changes in approach Monitoring requires that the metadata be actively maintained and reviewed! time milestones

Value of Metadata Metadata can be a means to improve communications among project participants o descriptions & parameters o keywords, vocabularies, thesauri o contact information o attributes o distribution information If reviewed regularly by all participants, metadata created early and updated during the project improves opportunity for coordinating: o source data o analytical methods o new information

Value of Metadata As a key component of the data, metadata should be part of any data deliverable For quality metadata from a deliverable, the record should provide: o Citation information o Data quailty information o Accurate geospatial information o Entities and attributes clearly defined o Distribution information

Value of Metadata Metadata is of critical importance to data developers, data users, and organizations Metadata can be effectively used for: o data distribution o Data management o Project management Metadata completes a dataset. Creating robust metadata is in your OWN best interest!

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