1. Part III – Class Exercise Metadata Creation in ArcCatalog

2. ArcGIS Metadata Training NOAA Coastal Services Center 40 Exercise: Metadata Creation in ArcCatalog Background In the accompanying Introduction to Global Positioning Systems (GPS) course, you learned how to collect, correct, and export GPS data into a format that is compatible with ArcGIS. These data may be able to be integrated into a geographic information system (GIS) in the short term, but what about future users of the data sets? How will they know what projection your data are in? What about the process that you undertook to create the data? As you have learned from the previous lecture, the creation of a metadata record will ensure that your data sets will stand the test of time. In this exercise, you will gain hands-on experience with metadata creation in ArcCatalog. First, you will create a projection file for your data in ArcToolbox. Next, you will create a template that will contain information that is common to all of the data sets that were created earlier. Finally, you will use this template to create a complete metadata record for each data set. Objectives of the Exercise 1.Capture projection information for each data set. 2.Create a metadata template that will be used to create subsequent records. 3.Create a complete metadata record for each data set that was created using GPS. Goal of the Exercise After completing the exercise, the student will be able to successfully create a complete metadata record within ArcGIS.

3. ArcGIS Metadata Training NOAA Coastal Services Center 41 Exercise: Metadata Creation in ArcCatalog Summary of Process Steps 1.Use ArcToolbox to Define Projection – Use the Define Projection Wizard to create a.prj projection file for the imported shapefiles. 2.Create and export a metadata template – By creating a template containing static metadata, you can save time when writing records for sets of related data. 3.Import template and create GPS metadata records – Using the previously created template, complete the remaining fields. ArcToolbox Define Projection Wizard ArcCatalog Metadata Toolbar Tools to Use Data Data used in this exercise can be found in the GPS_Data directory: line.shp – exported polyline feature polygon.shp – exported polygon feature point.shp – exported point feature

4. ArcGIS Metadata Training NOAA Coastal Services Center 42 Exercise: Metadata Creation in ArcCatalog 1. Use ArcToolbox to Define Projection  To open ArcToolbox, click on Start > Programs > ArcGIS > ArcToolbox.  Double click on Data Management Tools to expand the directory tree. Double-click once again on Projections and, finally, double-click on Define Projection Wizard (shapefiles…)  In the first window of the Define Projection Wizard, click on the Open file button and navigate to the GPS_Data directory. Select (by holding down the Ctrl key) and add all three shapefiles that were exported from Pathfinder Office. Their coordinate systems will show up as unknown. Click Next.  Click on Select Coordinate System. So why should you define the projection in ArcGIS when you already projected the data in Pathfinder Office? Defining the projection creates a.prj projection file, which ArcGIS uses to project on the fly and capture projection parameters automatically for metadata creation. Also, in ArcGIS you must define the projection to reproject the data. It is important to note that when you define a shapefile’s projection with incorrect parameters, ArcGIS will not “fit” the data to the projection you specify. Rather, when the shapefile is reprojected, the transformations will be based on the incorrect projection parameters and thus the data will become warped and skewed. But then again, if you had written a complete metadata record for the data, you wouldn’t have incorrect parameters in the first place. Did You Know?

5. ArcGIS Metadata Training NOAA Coastal Services Center 43 Exercise: Metadata Creation in ArcCatalog 1. Use ArcToolbox to Define Projection (continued)  In the Spatial Reference Properties window, click on Select. Remember that you projected those data in Pathfinder Office to UTM Zone 55 N, WGS 84. Therefore, choose Projected Coordinate Systems > UTM > WGS 1984 > WGS 1984 UTM Zone 55N.prj. Click Add and note that the spatial reference parameters have changed.  Click OK, Next > and then Finish.  Close ArcToolbox. Did you notice the Import option when setting projection parameters? This is useful if you have many different shapefiles that you want to project into the same projection. All you have to do is define the projection once, and then import these projection parameters into all of the other shapefiles. Did You Know?

6. ArcGIS Metadata Training NOAA Coastal Services Center 44 Exercise: Metadata Creation in ArcCatalog 2. Create and Export a Metadata Template For the remainder of the exercise, you will use ArcCatalog, and more specifically the Metadata Editor to create and edit a metadata record.  To open ArcCatalog, click on Start > Programs > ArcGIS > ArcCatalog.  Navigate to the C:/ directory in the table of contents. Click once to highlight the directory name.  Click on the Metadata tab. A message will appear in the main window that will tell you that metadata have not been created for the selected item. If this object had an associated metadata record in a format that ArcGIS could recognize, then it would appear here.  Click on the Edit Metadata button. The metadata editor is divided into seven categories (with links across the top of the window) that correspond to the seven main sections of the Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata (CSDGM). All required elements are denoted in red. Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata (CSDGM) – A metadata style guide that is endorsed by the FGDC. All state and federal agencies are required to use these standards in the creation of metadata Glossary Terms

7. ArcGIS Metadata Training NOAA Coastal Services Center 45 Exercise: Metadata Creation in ArcCatalog 2. Create and Export a Metadata Template (continued) For this metadata record, you will only enter information that applies to your organization as a whole, such as contact information. This is information that is not specific to any particular data set and will not change frequently. The record you are creating is known as a template and can be imported for use in the creation of subsequent records.  Begin by filling out the metadata for the Distribution, Metadata Reference, and Identification sections. Click on the Identification link at the top of the Metadata Editor window. Next, click on the Contact tab and then on the Details button (see sidebar at right for a helpful hint on entering contact information). It is better to refer to an individual in the contact information by position and not by name. This saves you from having to change your metadata record if that person leaves, or is replaced for any reason. Did You Know?

8. ArcGIS Metadata Training NOAA Coastal Services Center 46 Exercise: Metadata Creation in ArcCatalog 2. Create and Export a Metadata Template (continued)  Enter the following information: Your organization Your position Address information (by clicking on the address tab) Phone number Fax number Your email address  Next, click on the Distribution link at the top of the metadata editor. As you navigate through the four different tabs on this section, you will notice that none of the fields here are required. You will only need to enter information into this section if you plan on distributing your data through any medium: the Internet, CD, etc. In this exercise, you will assume that you are going to distribute all of your data via CD-ROM.  Click on the General tab. If you are planning on distributing your data, it’s a good idea to include a distribution liability statement. This clears your organization of any liability that may result from improper use of the data by the user. Enter the following information into the Distribution Liability section: Users must assume responsibility to determine the appropriate use of these data. Enter none into the remaining fields under this tab.

9. ArcGIS Metadata Training NOAA Coastal Services Center 47 Exercise: Metadata Creation in ArcCatalog 2. Create and Export a Metadata Template (continued)  Click on the Distributor tab and then the Details button. In the subsequent window, you will want to enter the contact information of the person who will be distributing the data. If your organization has a clearinghouse manager or GIS specialist, you will want to enter his or her contact information here.  Click on the Standard Order Process tab. Choose the Digital Form option and enter none into all of the fields in this window. Next click on the Digital Form tab. Some of the information for these fields will be entered automatically by ArcCatalog when you import this template into another metadata record. Click on the Offline Transfer tab and select CD-ROM from the Offline Media pull-down menu.

10. ArcGIS Metadata Training NOAA Coastal Services Center 48 Exercise: Metadata Creation in ArcCatalog 2. Create and Export a Metadata Template (continued)  Click on the Metadata Reference link. Metadata standard information will be entered automatically by ArcCatalog. Click on the Details button and enter contact information for the person who will act as the POC for the metadata in your organization. Do not enter the date.  You have finished entering all information that is required of this template. Click on the Save button to save your changes and close the metadata editor.  Click on the Export Metadata button, scroll through the list, and select FGDC CSDGM (XML) in the Format dropdown menu. Next, click on the Browse button, navigate to the GPS_Data directory and save the template as template.xml.  Click Save and then OK. Extensible Markup Language (XML) – Similar to HTML, XML is a markup language that contains tags that define the information contained in a document (headings, etc.). In ArcCatalog, the Metadata Editor uses a stylesheet to format a raw XML metadata file into one of several standard formats. Glossary Terms

11. ArcGIS Metadata Training NOAA Coastal Services Center 49 Exercise: Metadata Creation in ArcCatalog 3. Import Template and Create GPS Metadata Records  In the table of contents, navigate to the GPS_Data directory. Select line.shp.  Click on the Metadata tab. You may notice that the style and formatting is different than you may be used to. This is because the default stylesheet is a combination of FGDC and ESRI content and formatting. ArcCatalog supports numerous stylesheets. Take a moment and explore them all by using the Stylesheet pull-down menu on the upper left.  Select the FGDC stylesheet. Notice that many of the fields are blank. Click on the Spatial Reference Information link.  Why is the spatial reference information automatically filled in? ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ Stylesheet - A document that pulls the appropriate information out of a metadata document and then applies a certain style that controls content and display of the information in ArcCatalog. Glossary Terms

12. ArcGIS Metadata Training NOAA Coastal Services Center 50 Exercise: Metadata Creation in ArcCatalog 3. Import Template and Create GPS Metadata Records (continued)  Click on the Import Metadata button. Set the format to FGDC CSDGM (XML). Next, click on Browse, navigate to your GPS_Data directory, select the template.xml file, and click Open. Make sure that the option to Enable Automatic Update of Metadata is selected. This will ensure that information specific to the data set, including projection parameters, will be updated. Click OK. Scroll down through the metadata. You can see that information has been filled in for Distribution, Metadata Reference, and Identification Contact. Over half of the required metadata fields have been filled in automatically in just a single step!  What fields are left that you are required to fill in (here’s a hint, they’re all labeled as REQUIRED)? ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________ You must fill in these required fields to be compliant with the FGDC’s CSDGM. In addition, you will need to fill in information about the process you undertook in creating the data. This is known as a process step and should be created every time you modify a data set. This allows future users to see the lineage of the data set.

13. ArcGIS Metadata Training NOAA Coastal Services Center 51 Exercise: Metadata Creation in ArcCatalog 3. Import Template and Create GPS Metadata Records (continued)  Once again, click on the Edit Metadata button. You will need to fill out the out the fields under the Identification link. Under the General tab, you will need to fill out the abstract, purpose, access constraints, and use constraints.  Click on the Citation tab and then the Details button. Enter citation information for your data set, including title, originator (your organization), and publication date and time.  Click on the Time Period tab and choose publication date as the currentness reference. Enter the calendar date in the standard format (YYYYMMDD).  Click on the Keywords tab. Enter several keywords for the theme (GPS, etc.) and place (Oceana, United States, etc.). Once you have entered a single keyword, click on the add (+) button to add subsequent keywords within the field.  When you have finished entering identification information click OK. Next, click on the Data Quality link. You will now describe the process steps that were undertaken to create the GPS data. Click on the Process Step tab. You can find the CSDGM as well as other important metadata at the Federal Geographic Data Committee’s Web site: www.fgdc.gov Web Links

14. ArcGIS Metadata Training NOAA Coastal Services Center 52 Exercise: Metadata Creation in ArcCatalog 3. Import Template and Create GPS Metadata Records (continued)  When you imported the template.xml file, this process was automatically captured as a process step. It is not necessary to document this step of the process, so to delete it, click the x button on the lower left of the window.  Now enter a description of the process you undertook to capture the data using GPS. You want to be as specific as possible here; the more information the better. Don't forget to include the differential correction process! After you have finished with the process description, enter the software used, date, time, and contact information. Once you have entered all of the information, click on the Save button.  The metadata file has been saved as an.xml file that can be read by ArcCatalog. Many metadata records are stored as.met text-based files. To export your completed metadata file to this format, click on the Export Metadata button. Set the format to FGDC CSDGM (TXT), and navigate to your GPS_Integration directory. Save the file as type: All files (*.*), and name the file gps_data.met. The NOAA Coastal Services Center has an excellent on-line source for coastal metadata tools and information. Visit the site at www.csc.noaa.gov/ metadata/ Web Links

15. ArcGIS Metadata Training NOAA Coastal Services Center 53 Why is the spatial reference information automatically filled in? The spatial reference information is automatically filled in because you defined the projection parameters for this data set at the beginning of the exercise. ArcCatalog reads these projection parameters and fills in the appropriate metadata fields. What fields are left that you are required to fill in? The originators of the data, the publication date, the time period of the content, and the currentness reference are all required fields that have not been filled in. 3. Import Template and Create GPS Metadata Records (continued)  Using the steps in this exercise, repeat the process of exporting a metadata template for the point.shp and polygon.shp files.  Close ArcCatalog when you have finished. END OF EXERCISE Exercise: Metadata Creation in ArcCatalog In this exercise, you made a metadata template, editing first the various aspects of the record that would not change in a data set. You exported this template and later imported it into a related data set. The use of a metadata template can save time and effort when writing metadata records for multiple data sets that share many of the same parameters. Exercise Summary Answers to Exercise Questions