1. Understanding the Value and Importance of Proper Data Documentation 2-1 At the conclusion of this module the participant will be able to Describe the relationship between data and metadata List 3 types of data that can benefit from metadata List the 2 most common ways used to search data Describe the concept of granularity and how it applies to metadata Objectives Metadata–A Component of Data

2. Understanding the Value and Importance of Proper Data Documentation 2-2 Rethinking the relationship between data and metadata. Metadata as a Component of Data Properly documenting your data provides vital information to interested parties. These interested parties may be internal or external to your organization, but either way, well-written metadata is giving them the opportunity to find out details about the data that will help them decide whether they want the data, how to access the data, and how to use the data. Look at the example to the right. If you are a scientist that works with environmental sensitivity index (ESI) data on a regular basis, then you might understand what the columns in the data set represent. But if you have acquired this data set to include in a project and have never seen the data before, then you will need information that will help you understand the data, and more importantly, incorporate that data into your project. Metadata serves that function. Environmental Sensitivity Index Data 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 Metadata is that component of data which describes it. It documents characteristics of the data such as content, condition, and quality. This latter characteristic should not be overlooked. New federal regulations require federal agencies to document the quality of their data under the Data Quality Act (Public Law 106-554 Section 515). Metadata can help agencies meet the requirements of this new regulation by documenting their data quality within their metadata.

3. Understanding the Value and Importance of Proper Data Documentation 2-3 Metadata – It’s not just for GIS! Title Scale Source Content Location Publication Access Title Scale Source Content Location Publication Access GIS files Imagery Geodatabases GPS data Biological data In situ data GIS files Imagery Geodatabases GPS data Biological data In situ data Metadata Data set Metadata is most commonly associated with digital spatial data; however, it can be used to describe any data, such as remotely-sensed imagery, GPS data, biological data, or in situ data. Think for a moment about a data set that does not have a tie to a location on the earth’s surface. Can you think of one? When considering metadata for your data, whatever they may be, why start from scratch? Using the current standard can save time and money, and is flexible enough to allow for changes down the road, as the situation arises. Use metadata to describe a wide variety of data types. SpeciesSp_IDSite_IDCount Desmognathus apalachicolaeA25-955BRP14 Gyrinophilus porphyriticus danielsiD33-009BRP4a7 Plethodon chattahoochee HightonT93-193Sugar223 Plethodon cinereus Z73-244Elk8b5 A Component of Data

4. Understanding the Value and Importance of Proper Data Documentation 2-4 Drawing the Box When you write metadata, one important aspect to capture in the metadata is the geographic region. This is done by either describing a bounding coordinate box that encompasses the location where the data was collected, or by using place keywords within the metadata. Geographic locations and keywords are two of the most common ways metadata is searched. The standard allows for the addition of theme, place, temporal, and stratum keywords. Choose keywords wisely, and consider different variations for the same word. Metadata describes the geographic boundaries of your data. Acme Data Company Coordinate Box Acme Data Company Coordinate Box Acme Data Company Coordinate Box Acme Data Company Coordinate Box Acme Data Company Coordinate Box Acme Data Company Coordinate Box Acme Data Company Coordinate Box Acme Data Company Coordinate Box Acme Data Company Coordinate Box Acme Data Company Coordinate Box Acme Data Company Coordinate Box A Component of Data

5. Understanding the Value and Importance of Proper Data Documentation 2-5 Defining the Data Set As you consider metadata for a project, a common question that often arises is “At what level of granularity should the metadata be written?” In other words, can one project level record suffice, or do each individual data elements need to be documented? The answer is that it depends. It may be possible to capture all the appropriate information in one project level record, but more often than not, additional records may have to be written to describe various components of the data set. Metadata can be used to document at various levels of granularity. Project Data Set Data Layer Data Element One course of action is to begin a project level record at the beginning of the project, and use that to build templates for other metadata within the project as it progresses. Remember, there is no right or wrong answer to the question of granularity. It is organization and project specific, but what ever level of metadata is written, make sure it is fully- developed and well-written. A Component of Data

6. Understanding the Value and Importance of Proper Data Documentation 2-6 Metadata Non-spatial or attributes Spatial Without accompanying metadata, the fitness for use of any given data set is unknown, and its usefulness may be significantly impaired. Metadata is written and maintained as an integrated part of the data creation process as opposed to a process that might occur at end of project, if time allows. Metadata is a critical component of a complete data set. As such, it should never be viewed as a separate entity. It is and should remain an integral component of the data. No data set should be considered complete without a fully-developed, well- written metadata record or records. Metadata is an integral component of a data set. A Component of Data