Introduction to Geospatial Metadata – FGDC CSDGM National Coastal Data Development Center A division of the National Oceanographic Data Center Please a list of participants at each location to Also questions for the Q&A session to

Course Outline Introduction to Metadata Content of the CSDGM Beyond the Basics Profiles and Extensions Tools for Writing FGDC Metadata Data Discovery Writing Quality Metadata Validation

Objectives To learn what metadata is To learn the format of the FGDC Content Standard for Geospatial Metadata (CSDGM) To identify tools and resources that can help you write CSDGM metadata To write quality descriptive metadata that can be shared with others To produce metadata that is reliable, accurate, long- standing, and provides a good data description

What is Metadata? & Why is it Important? Metadata 101

Some Basic Terms Metadata - Documentation of geospatial data written in a consistent manner FGDC - Federal Geographic Data Committee CSDGM - Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata, referred to as “The Standard ” or “The Content Standard ” Clearinghouse - A distributed catalog of metadata Geospatial - refers to a geographic location

Metadata is “information about data” What is Metadata?

We often use metadata without even knowing it. Examples? What is Metadata?

This is the “metadata” for this. What is missing? aurora with comet

This is the metadata for this. Author(s) Boullosa, Carmen. Title(s) They're cows, we're pigs / by Carmen Boullosa Place New York : Grove Press, Physical Descr viii, 180 p 22 cm. Subject(s) Pirates Caribbean Area Fiction. Format Fiction Author(s) Boullosa, Carmen. Title(s) They're cows, we're pigs / by Carmen Boullosa Place New York : Grove Press, Physical Descr viii, 180 p 22 cm. Subject(s) Pirates Caribbean Area Fiction. Format Fiction While the card-catalog entry is a form of metadata, it does not address topics such as quality, accuracy, or scale. Well-written geospatial metadata describes these and many more aspects of the data.

Identification_Information Citation Citation_Information Originator: NOAA Coastal Services Center Publication_Date: Title: Hurricane Storm Surge Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: Map Publication_Information Publication_Place: Charleston, SC Publisher: NOAA Coastal Services Center Larger_Work_Citation Citation_Information Identification_Information Citation Citation_Information Originator: NOAA Coastal Services Center Publication_Date: Title: Hurricane Storm Surge Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: Map Publication_Information Publication_Place: Charleston, SC Publisher: NOAA Coastal Services Center Larger_Work_Citation Citation_Information What is Metadata? This is the metadata for this.

Metadata contains vital information Without a label, how would you know which one to open? Dog Food? Ravioli? Imagine being given two identical cans. Your task is to choose one to eat. But here’s the catch. Neither can has a label. Which would you choose?

Metadata Functions documentation management discovery access use Who? What? Where? When? Why? Who? What? Where? When? Why?

What is Metadata? Who… Who collected the data? Who processed the data? Who wrote the metadata? Who to contact for questions? Who to contact to order? Who owns the data? Who… Who collected the data? Who processed the data? Who wrote the metadata? Who to contact for questions? Who to contact to order? Who owns the data? Where… Where were the data collected? Where were the data processed? Where are the data located? Where… Where were the data collected? Where were the data processed? Where are the data located? What… What are the data about? What project were they collected under? What are the constraints on their use? What is the quality? What are appropriate uses? What parameters were measured? What format are the data in? What… What are the data about? What project were they collected under? What are the constraints on their use? What is the quality? What are appropriate uses? What parameters were measured? What format are the data in? When… When were the data collected? When were the data processed? When… When were the data collected? When were the data processed? How… How were the data collected? How were the data processed? How do I access the data? How do I order the data? How much do the data cost? How was the quality assessed? How… How were the data collected? How were the data processed? How do I access the data? How do I order the data? How much do the data cost? How was the quality assessed? Why… Why were the data collected? Why… Why were the data collected?

Metadata as a Component of Data

Properly documented data provides vital information to interested parties. Properly documented data provides vital information to interested parties. A Component of Data

A published map contains elements of metadata… Publisher Publication date Type of map Title / Description Spatial references Scale and accuracy Sources Legend A Component of Data

Metadata is that component of data which describes it. Environmental Sensitivity Index Data Metadata RARNUM - unique combination of species, concentration, and seasonality CONC (concentration) = Density species is found at location Season_ID = seasonality code like to the seasonal table Element - Biology group A Component of Data

Metadata describes… CONTENT CONDITION QUALITY CONTENT CONDITION QUALITY Characteristics of the data A Component of Data

Because metadata provides vital information about a dataset, it should never be viewed or treated as a separate entity. Metadata is a critical component of a complete data set. Metadata is a critical component of a complete data set. A Component of Data

Metadata should be updated to reflect changes in the data 1980 HEW Teheran British Honduras Cape Hatteras Light Mt. St. Helen West Germany 2005 HHS & HUD Tehran Belize Cape Hatteras Light Mt. St. Helen Germany

THE VALUE OF METADATA Why is metadata important?

Why does an organization need to be able to track its data or work? What about the employee who is ready to retire? Do you know what he did or how he did it? What were his processing steps? What about the grad student who is leaving? Do you even know where their data is? What about the employee who is ready to retire? Do you know what he did or how he did it? What were his processing steps? What about the grad student who is leaving? Do you even know where their data is?

Properly documenting a data set is the key to preserving its usefulness through time.

Avoid duplication Share reliable information Publicize efforts Reduce workload Avoid duplication Share reliable information Publicize efforts Reduce workload For data developers, metadata helps to... For data developers, metadata helps to...

For organizations, metadata helps to... For organizations, metadata helps to... Protect investment in data Create an institutional memory Counter personnel changes Allow sharing of data with other agencies Save time and money Limit potential liability Protect investment in data Create an institutional memory Counter personnel changes Allow sharing of data with other agencies Save time and money Limit potential liability

Facilitates understanding Focuses on key elements Enables discovery — inside and outside of organizations Facilitates understanding Focuses on key elements Enables discovery — inside and outside of organizations For data users, metadata... This saves time and money. Find data of interest Determine data usefulness Determine data access Find data of interest Determine data usefulness Determine data access

This “data discovery” is all accomplished through the use of a clearinghouse, an on-line searchable catalog of standardized metadata records. This “data discovery” is all accomplished through the use of a clearinghouse, an on-line searchable catalog of standardized metadata records.