FCM Quality of Life Reporting System Metadata By: Acacia Consulting and Research June 2002

Acacia Consulting & Research April The 2001 QoLRS Report 2001 Report Contains –9 measures –60 indicators –18 municipalities –2 reporting years –time series data w/ data from 1991, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000 –Myriad Geography - postal code, CSD, CMA, regions, cities, etc.

Acacia Consulting & Research April QoLRS Report The report increases in complexity 3 new measures will be added –Environment –Community & Social infrastructure –Homelessness –Up to 12 new indicators –70 + indicators in total –19 reporting communities ( ) includes 3 reporting years time series data w/data from 1991, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 and potentially 2002 Myriad Geography - postal code, CSD, CMA, regions, cities, etc.

Acacia Consulting & Research April QoLRS Report Statistics Canada 1991, 1996, 2001 –Census Small area special tabulations –Labour force survey –Health Information Directorate –Canada Centre for Justice Other Organizations 1991, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 and potentially 2002 –Canadian Centre for Social Development (CCSD) –Canada Housing Mortgage Corporation (CMHC) –Industry Canada –Elections Canada –United Way (18 communities) –Audit Bureau of Canada –Reporting Communities –Real Estate MLS –Service providers, Environment Canada, etc. Source Data from 13+ organizations once new indicators are added

Acacia Consulting & Research April The QoLRS Data Process 1. Original data from the source (I.e. StatsCan) –safely stored, no calculations are carried out, license agreements w/ an accompanying dictionary 2. Modified data with all reporting years for all communities - metadata –source data have been copied into new working tables, metadata is documented, reorganized to suit the reporting structure and calculations have been carried out –data should be accompanied with all metadata & reference source data, and be referenced to the pre and final published tables –these should be modified to exact titles and edits from the final and draft pre publication tables 3. Draft Pre-publication tables –calculations complete, formatting and consultation with reporting team, reference to source data organization, limitations footnoted, and reference to final publication tables 4. Final Published tables (methodology doc from H. Low) –formatted, edited, complete and ready for insertion into the report 5. Transformation for publication – Transformation to PDF for for CD-ROM & Internet distribution, into HTML for WWW, and Layout for Paper Publication Connection to source data decreases

Acacia Consulting & Research April Metadata Defined FGDC What is metadata? ( Metadata in plain language ) –The US Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) defines metadata as consisting of information that characterizes data. Metadata are used to provide documentation for data products. In essence, metadata answer who, what, when, where, why, and how about every facet of the data that are being documented. CGDI Metadata Standards ( ) –The Canadian Geospatial Data Infrastructure (CGDI) defines metadata as a standard common set of terms and definitions that describe Geospatial data. A level of conformance is important to ensure everyone can discover, understand and share data by finding and comparing common details regarding the data. A metadata standard outlines the characteristic properties to be recorded, as well as the values the properties should have. Such standardization of the vocabulary makes information sharing more reliable and universal. –CGDI follow the FGDC Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata (CSDGM). This standard was chosen for its quality, popularity of use, established support, as well as for the tools that have been and are continuing to be created. Some minor changes made in recent releases of the FGDC standard have not been adopted. CGDI plans to support the new International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standard.

Acacia Consulting & Research April Standard Metadata Fields –What is the title of the data set? –What geographic area does the data set cover? –Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period? –Is this a digital map or remote-sensing image, or something different like tabular data? –How does the data set represent geographic features? –How does the data set describe geographic features? –Who produced the data set? –Who created the data set? –To whom should users address questions about the data? –Why was the data set created? –How was the data set created? –How reliable are the data; what problems remain in the data set? –How can someone get a copy of the data set? –Who wrote the metadata?

Acacia Consulting & Research April FCM QoLRS metadata Catalogue Objective is to provide FCM w/a QoLRS metadata catalogue –Follows established standards (FGDC-SCIP, CGDI, Dublin Core) –Easy to understand (e.g.Harvey Low Methodology Document) –Easy to maintain –Comprehensive but not cumbersome –Links the full data transformation process, from source to publication & dissemination –In excel format –Have a metadata template w/description for all future FCM QoLRS data acquisitions –QoLRS digital filing and backup process/system

Acacia Consulting & Research April Source - Modified or Original Data QoLRS Halton & Sudbury Update example Metadata would include these calculations Metadata would explain these variables

Acacia Consulting & Research April ACR Preliminary Exploration metadata QoLRS Halton & Sudbury Update example These fields briefly explain what the data sets contain and the target in the report

Acacia Consulting & Research April Pre-Publication Data QoLRS Halton & Sudbury Update example This is the pre-publication table and its associated metadata

Acacia Consulting & Research April Publication Data Halton & Sudbury Updates These data should inform the reader on the data source, how the data were derived (calculated) and who created the data along with limitations & what it means, the brief version of what Harvey Low has provided

Acacia Consulting & Research April Continuous link 1. Original data 2. Modified data 3. Pre publication tables 4. Final to be Published tables Reference source data license definitions Copy of source data link to the source algorithms what variables used where in the report, descriptions Reference to the source data Link to modified data type of calculations and edited to match final report titles and pre-publication edits Reference to the source Reference to calculations key limitations indicated in footnotes 5. Transformation for Publication Tracking the process to PDF, CD-ROM, Paper, HTML, WWW