1. Metadata Training for Gulf Restoration Partners Module 1 – Introduction to Metadata and Metadata Standards

2. Objectives learn what metadata is and how it can help you in your job understand the use and format of the metadata standards in common use by federal government agencies identify tools and resources needed to write metadata in standard format be aware of commonly used fields within different standards write quality metadata to document “your” data as completely as possible be sure that the metadata you produce will be reliable, accurate, and long-standing

3. WHAT IS METADATA? WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? Metadata 101

4. What is Metadata? Metadata is information “about” your data

5. Who? What Where When How Why 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? 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 were the data collected? When were the data processed ? Why were the data collected? 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 Where were the data collected? Where were the data processed? Where are the data located? Metadata answers questions “about” the data….

6. We often use metadata without even knowing it. Examples?

7. Metadata contains vital information Without a label, how would you know which one to open? Spinach? 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?

8. aurora with comet This is the metadata for this. What’s Missing?

9. Author(s) Blair, Diane. Title(s) Whales watching/ by Diane Blair and Pamela Wright Place Mankato, Minn. : Capstone Books 1997. Physical Descr 48 p.: col. ill., col. maps ; 23 cm. Subject(s) Whales -- Juvenile literature Whale watching -- Juvenile literature Author(s) Blair, Diane. Title(s) Whales watching/ by Diane Blair and Pamela Wright Place Mankato, Minn. : Capstone Books 1997. Physical Descr 48 p.: col. ill., col. maps ; 23 cm. Subject(s) Whales -- Juvenile literature Whale watching -- Juvenile literature 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. This is the metadata for this.

11. Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How What is Metadata? metadata can have different functions…  documentation  management  discovery  access  use

12. ... A COMPONENT OF DATA Metadata is….

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

14. A published map contains “elements” of metadata… Publisher Publication date Type of map Title / Description Spatial references Scale and accuracy Sources Legend Metadata – a “component of data”

15. What’s missing?

16. 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 Metadata – a “component of data”

17. CONTENT CONDITION QUALITY CONTENT CONDITION QUALITY Characteristics of the data Metadata describes… Metadata – a “component of data”

18. 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.

19. 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 Metadata should be updated to reflect changes in the data…

20. WHY DO METADATA? The Value of Metadata

21. 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 did it? What were his processing steps? What about the grad student who is leaving? Do you even know where their data is?

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

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

24. 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

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

26. 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

27. 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.

28. METADATA POLICIES

29. Metadata Policies US National/Federal Policies – Executive Order 12906 – OMB Circular A-16 – OMB Circular A-119 – Open Data Policy – Public Access to Research Results (PARR NOAA Policies – NAO 212-15 – EDM Data Documentation Directive

30. National Policy EO 12906 OMB Circular A-16 OMB Circular A-119 Open Data Policy OMB memorandum M-13-13

31. Executive Order 12906 Established the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) to support public and private sector applications of geospatial data Established an electronic National Geospatial Data Clearinghouse for the NSDI to: - address data standardization, make geospatial data publicly available, and - address redundancy and incompatibility of geospatial information

32. OMB Circular A-16 Provides guidance for federal agencies that create, maintain or use spatial data directly or indirectly through the establishment of the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) and the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) Establishes guidelines for the management of digital spatial data and the use of those assets. It also appoints the FGDC to the interagency coordinating body for NSDI-related activities

33. OMB Circular A-119

34. Open Data Policy (Project Open Data)

35. Agency Policy / NOAA Policy NAO 212-15 EDM Data Documentation Directive

36. NAO 212-15 Data Documentation Directive

37. What do these policies say “in a nutshell” ? Have a data management strategy Use ISO metadata Publish the metadata Make data accessible

38. NCDDCMETADATA@NOAA.GOV Questions??