Introduction to Geospatial Metadata – ISO 191** Metadata National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)

Course Outline Introduction to Metadata – Different Metadata Standards – Different Levels of Metadata ISO Content and Organization – Use by NOAA – Basic Overview Data Discovery – NOAA Data Catalogs – Other Federal Data Catalogs Reading ISO Metadata Tools for Creating ISO Metadata

Metadata functions… documentation management discovery access use Metadata functions… documentation management discovery access use Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How 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? What is Metadata?

We often use metadata without even knowing it. Examples?

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

Author(s) Blair, Diane. Title(s) Whales watching/ by Diane Blair and Pamela Wright Place Mankato, Minn. : Capstone Books 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 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.

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 as 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

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

CONTENT CONDITION QUALITY CONTENT CONDITION QUALITY Characteristics of the data Metadata describes… 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

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…

The Value of Metadata Why Metadata?

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? Why does an organization need to be able to track its data or work?

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...

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 For organizations, metadata helps to…

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 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 For data users, metadata...

Client Gateway Servers housing metadata Discovering Data Through Metadata Metadata clearinghouses and portals are decentralized systems of Internet servers you can use to search for available geospatial data.

DATA.GOV SEARCH DATA CATALOG

DATA CATALOG

Common Types of Searches Free Text Searches Categorized Search Temporal Search Geographic Search – by Keyword – by Map Interface

Free Text and Keyword Searches

Search by Category

Temporal Search

Map Search or Display

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.