1. IUFRO International Union of Forest Research Organizations Eero Mikkola Description of WP2 – NEFIS Metadata and Controlled Vocabularies Standards - work by deliverables NEFIS Project Meeting 28 June 2005 Ispra, Italy

2. Description of WP2  This work package has addressed the development of two elements: metadata and controlled vocabularies  The task of WP2, was to establish a NEFIS metadata standard based on DC’s elements and accompanying refinements and to develop a controlled vocabulary to facilitate the cataloguing and accessing of NEFIS metadata records and underlying datasets.

3. Description of WP2  D3, D4, and D5 were finalized, delivered to the Commission and accepted during the second period.  Principal research activities focused on work surrounding D3, D4 and D5. Significant research was done on the NEFIS metadata schema, vocabulary development and interoperability requirements.  This research, based on partners’ input during year 2, resulted in recommendations for future activities.

4. Description of WP2 - Deliverables  Deliverable 3: Keyword lists  Deliverable 3: Metadata standards and keyword lists “Metadata scheme”- March 2005  Deliverable 4: Suggestions for a Forest Markup Language (FML) - November 2004  Deliverable 5: Metadata guidelines - March 2005

5. D3 Keyword lists  Considerable effort has been made regarding the NEFIS keyword lists. Following the submission of themes by the participants, the following approach was taken to populate the NEFIS vocabulary by themes: (1) WP2 participants, as subject specialists, were asked to submit keywords or keyword lists (2) a complementary effort was implemented by terminology experts to identify existing relevant keyword lists that could be used as a base for the NEFIS vocabulary. Keyword lists were developed for 12 of the 18 identified themes.

6. D3 Keyword lists  Based on the review of the Commission three keyword lists (Forest products, Field experiments and Inventory) were developed further in order to make them more comprehensive and to improve comparability of the lists

7. D3 Metadata standards and keyword lists Metadata schema  The DC metadata standard was chosen as a basis for the NEFIS metadata. The DC standard was expanded to include the additional refinement “quality” under the element “description” for the European Forest Information System (EFIS) project.  “Reference System” for georeferenced datasets was suggested as an additional refinement under the element “Format”. Because D3 was submitted and further discussions have taken place, the metadata schema have been modified so that “Reference System” is now included as a separate element in the schema.

8. D5 NEFIS metadata guidelines  The metadata guidelines for NEFIS data providers were further elaborated to take account of the proposed NEFIS metadata schema.  The NEFIS Metadata Guidelines describe how to catalogue and describe resources for NEFIS and the essential requirements of each element of the data entry interface and provides the structure into which data from converted catalogues must fit as well as the element specifications. This manual is organized by Dublin Core element.  Based on the expert statement some technical modifications have been done

9. D4 Suggestions for a Forest Mark-up Language (FML)  In cooperation with WP3 there has been discussion of the FML. By using XML Schema Definition (XSD) an extensible nested set of forest metadata elements can be defined that can encompass both the DC catalogue function and also the task of describing heterogeneous databases to which the DC catalogue may refer.  Thus bringing together the cataloguing and the database description metadata functions (among other things) in one forest information object.

10. WP2 Recommendations The research, based on WP2 partners input during year 2, resulted in recommendations.  Co-ordinate all vocabulary activities within a Multilingual Forestry Ontology Project, with strategic links to such ongoing ontology framework projects as the FAO Agricultural Ontology Service.  Establish an Editorial Advisory Group comprising subject experts and information specialists to collate and organize terminology to maintain the forestry ontology.  Establish practical links with international initiatives concerned with terminology harmonization in forestry and related fields to feed into the ontology maintenance process.  Produce appropriate authority lists for both field labels and variables within the Metadata schema, and standard data definitions that allow deviations from those standards to be clearly identified.

11. Thank you for your attention! NEFIS Meeting 28 June, 2005 Ispra, Italy