Why StandardizeMetadata?

Why Have a Standard?

Think for a moment how hard it would be to…

… bake a cake without standard units of measurement.

… put gas into your car without standard nozzle sizes.

… plug a lamp into a socket without standard electrical outlets.

The standard for

metadata ensures

a level of

consistency in

data

documentation.

Standards ensure consistency.

Why Have a Standard?

Establishing a Standard

The Federal Geographic Data Committee

(FGDC) was organized in 1990 under the Office

of Management and Budget to promote the

coordinated use, sharing, and dissemination of

geospatial data on a national basis.

The FGDC was tasked with creating a metadata

standard to meet these objectives.

The Metadata Standard

"... each agency shall document all new

geospatial data it collects or produces, either

directly or indirectly, using the standard under

development by the FGDC, and make that

standardized documentation electronically

accessible to the Clearinghouse network."

The Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata (CSDGM)

Executive Order 12906, 1994

Establishing a Standard

This “Content Standard”

serves as a uniform

summary description

of the data set.

Establishing a Standard

The Content Standard utilizes...

• Common terms

• Common definitions

• Common language

• Common structure Access

constraints

Citation

currentness

entity

attrib

ute

domain

lineage

Process step

Establishing a Standard

The Content Standard…

• Establishes names of compound elements and data elements.

• Defines the information about the values that are to be provided for the data elements.

Type=“free text”Domain=Real

currentnessentity

attributeCitation

lineage

Establishing a Standard

The Content Standard helps

the user determine...

• If a set of geospatial data is available and fit for a particular use.

• How to access and transfer the data set.

Establishing a Standard

WhoWho 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?

WhereWhere were the data collected?Where were the data processed?Where are the data located?

WhatWhat 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?

WhenWhen were the data collected?When were the data processed?

HowHow 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?

Metadata written using the Content Standard answers these important

questions:

Establishing a Standard

Let’s Review

• Metadata is a document that describes your data’s content, condition, and quality.

• Metadata is an integral component of your data and should never be viewed as a separate entity.

• Metadata is also a powerful tool that an organization can utilize to build a strong internal data management structure.

• Metadata’s traditional external value includes data discovery, assessment, access, and use.

• In order to be successful, this internal management structure requires building support at the administrative, technical, and organizational levels.

• Standardized metadata ensures consistency in documentation, and aids in the efficient discovery, access, transfer, and use of data.

Using the Content Standard

FGDC’s Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata Workbook

(the “green book”)

The Content Standard is organized using numbered chapters called “sections.”

Organization of the Content Standard

Each section is organized into series of elements that define the information

content for metadata to document a set of digital geospatial data.

Organization of the Content Standard

Each section provides:

• Section name and definition

• Compound element names

• Compound element definitions

• Data element names

• Data element definitions

The workbook presents the production

rules for the standard in a graphical

format. These graphics illustrate:

Organization of the Content Standard

• Structure of the standard

• Element groupings

• Element conditionality

• Element repeatability

Structure of the Content Standard

Metadata

Seven Main Sections

Three Supporting Sections

Data QualityInformation

Data QualityInformation

Spatial DataOrganizationInformation

Spatial DataOrganizationInformation

SpatialReference

Information

SpatialReference

Information

Entity andAttribute

Information

Entity andAttribute

Information

DistributionInformation

DistributionInformation

MetadataReference

Information

MetadataReference

Information

IdentificationInformation

IdentificationInformation

Time PeriodInformation

Time PeriodInformation

ContactInformation

ContactInformation

CitationInformation

CitationInformation

4 52 6 731

8 9 10

Interpreting the Graphical Production Rules

SectionSections are depicted by this symbol.

Compound Element

Compound elements are depicted using a 2-dimensional box.

Data Element

Data elements are depicted using a 3-dimensional box.

Interpreting the Graphical Production Rules

Data Element

A data element is a logically primitive itemof data. Data elements are the things thatyou “fill in.”

The form for the definition of a data element is:

Data element name -- definition.Type: (choice of “integer”, “real”, “text”, “date”, or “time”)Domain: (describes valid values that can be assigned)

An example of the definition of a data element is:

Abstract -- a brief narrative summary of the data set.Type: textDomain: free text

Note: Data element definitions are contained in the text of the Content Standard, not in the graphical production rules.

Mandatory – Information for this element must be provided.

Conditionality Definitions

Element Conditionality

Mandatory if Applicable – Information for this element must be provided if the data set exhibits the defined characteristic.

Optional – Information for this element is provided at the discretion of the data set producer.

CompoundElement 1

CompoundElement 1.1

DataElement 1.1.1

DataElement 1.1.2

DataElement 1.2

How Elements Are Grouped

Compound elements are composed of other compound and data elements. The composition is represented by nested boxes.

CompoundElement 1

CompoundElement 1.1

DataElement 1.1.1

DataElement 1.1.2

DataElement 1.2

Compound Element 1 is composed of Compound Element 1.1 and Data Element 1.2.

Compound Element 1.1 is composed of Data Element 1.1.1 and Data Element 1.1.2.

How Elements Are Grouped

If an element can be repeatedindependently from other elements, itwill be indicated as such below theelement name.

Repeating Elements

CompoundElement 1

(can be repeatedunlimited times)

CompoundElement 1.1

DataElement 1.1.1

DataElement 1.1.2

DataElement 1.2

This group of elements

would repeat.

Compound Element 1 Compound Element 1.1 Data Element 1.1.1 Data Element 1.1.2 Data Element 1.2

Conditionality Examples

All elements are colored yellow, so all are mandatory and must be reported.

CompoundElement 1

CompoundElement 1.1

DataElement 1.1.1

DataElement 1.1.2

DataElement 1.2

If yes, Data Elements 1.1.1 and 1.1.2 are mandatory.

If no, do not report Compound Element 1.1, Data Element 1.1.1 or

1.1.2, and skip to Data Element 1.2.

CompoundElement 1

DataElement 1.1.1

DataElement 1.1.2

DataElement 1.2

CompoundElement 1.1

Conditionality Examples

Compound Element 1 is mandatory.

Compound Element 1.1 is optional.

Data Element 1.2 is mandatory.

CompoundElement 1

Data Element 1.2 is optional.

CompoundElement 1

CompoundElement 1.1

DataElement 1.1.1

DataElement 1.1.2

DataElement 1.2

Conditionality Examples

Compound Element 1 is mandatory.

Compound Element 1.1 is mandatory.

Data Element 1.1.1 is mandatory.

Data Element 1.1.2 is mandatory if applicable.

CompoundElement 1

CompoundElement 1.1

CompoundElement 1

CompoundElement 1.1

DataElement 1.1.1

DataElement 1.1.2

DataElement 1.2

Conditionality Examples

Compound Element 1 is mandatory if applicable. If not applicable to the data set, do not report any elements.

If applicable, it is mandatory and:

Compound Element 1.1 is mandatory.

Data Element 1.1.1 is mandatory if applicable.

Data Element 1.1.2 is mandatory.

Data Element 1.2 is optional.

So …what does all this mean?

• Many of the documents that are on the Workshop CD are “in color”…

A Graphical Representation of the Metadata Standard

So …what does all this mean?

• Many of the documents that are on the Workshop CD are “in color”…

• Also note that some metadata editors “flag” FGDC required items for you…

ArcCatalog’s metadata editor…

Virginia Metadata Lite

• ~2000, a VGIN workgroup identified several key elements of the FGDC standard and produced a shorter version called “VA MetaLite”

• VA Metalite is Fully FGDC compliant• Includes all mandatory FGDC metadata elements, and a

few optional elements.• This should be viewed as a minimum approach to

metadata development.• The VA MetaLite is available on the CD, in the workbook,

and on the Web (VGIN Home > Library > Info. Products)

http://www.vgin.virginia.gov/documents/metadata/Virginia%20Spatial%20Metadata%20Lite%20Element%20Descriptions%20010901.htm

Here’s what VA Lite looks like…(the full version of VA MetaLite is included in your workbook)

Summary

• Metadata standards are essential to ensure consistency, support dissemination, and generate efficiency

• The FGDC has developed a metadata standard known as the Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata

• Virginia has identified a subset of mandatory items in this standard to help facilitate metadata development. This is called Virginia Lite. It is an option for you…

Exercise Using theWorkbook