Making Metadata Work For Your

1. Making Metadata Work For Your Lynda Wayne US Federal Geographic Data Committee / GeoMaxim Mike Moeller NOAA Coastal Services Center / Perot Systems National Climate Data Center • Asheville NC • February 2006

2. Objectives After the workshop, students can: • effectively read and comprehend metadata • make the business case for metadata • discriminate between minimal and quality metadata • develop a metadata template that uses a range of mandatory, conditional, & optional CSDGM elements • select and access metadata software • locate and access online resources Making Metadata Work For You

3. What IS Metadata? Data ‘reporting’ • WHO created the data? • WHAT is the content of the data? • WHEN was it created? • WHERE is it geographically? • HOW was the data developed? • WHY was the data developed? Making Metadata Work For You

4. What IS Metadata? title supplemental information abstract time period author sources (file) size Making Metadata Work For You

5. What IS Metadata? entity attributes Making Metadata Work For You

6. Let’s Make Metadata Turn to your neighbor and document the following: Title name Theme Keywords work & interests areas Supplemental Information unique interest, event, or quality Making Metadata Work For You

7. content context abstraction abstraction Metadata as a Data Component DATA MetadataTitleOriginatorPurposeAbstractGeographic ExtentTime Period of ContentSources UsedProcess DescriptionPositional AccuracyEntities and Attributes……. map / image / database metadata phenomena Making Metadata Work For You

8. metadata(context) map(content) Metadata: Building Block of theNational Spatial Data Infrastructure access • search • download share • describe • publish use • assess • apply DATA Making Metadata Work For You

9. NSDI metadata(context) map(content) access share use Metadata: Building Block of theNational Spatial Data Infrastructure National Spatial Data Infrastructure …a set of actions and new ways of accessing, sharing and using geographic data that enables far more comprehensive analysis of data to help decision-makers choose the best course(s) of action. Making Metadata Work For You

10. My SDI map(content) metadata(context) access share use Metadata: Building Block of theYour Own Spatial Data Infrastructure Making Metadata Work For You

11. collect classify derive planimetric imagery charette analysis committee review alternative PLAN Metadata the Awful Geospatial Data Producers perceive metadata as: • time consuming • excessive • for the benefits of others Geospatial Managers perceive metadata as: • non-productive • costly (time, training, software) metadata? metadata? metadata? metadata? metadata? metadata? Making Metadata Work For You

12. collect classify derive planimetric imagery meta meta charette analysis committee review alternative meta PLAN meta Metadata the Magnificent Metadata can support: • data management • project management If it is: • considered a component of the data • created during data development • populated with rich content Making Metadata Work For You

13. DataAccountability Discovery & Re-use Maintenance & Update Data Management via Metadata DataLiability Making Metadata Work For You

14. Data Management:Data Maintenance and Update Maintenance • Are the data current? • older than? • prior to significant change? • Are the data valid? • newer sources? • better methods? Update • Contact information • Distribution policies, availability, pricing • URLS • ISO 19115 Topic Categories • New derivations Making Metadata Work For You

15. Data Management:Data Discovery and Re-use Marketing metadata in the past… If you create metadata, other people can discover your data New and improved message… If you create metadata, you can find your own data Making Metadata Work For You

16. Data Management:Data Discovery and Re-use Data discovery by • themes / attributes • geographic extent • temporal character • methods • contributors • quality Discoverable data is usable data Making Metadata Work For You

17. Data Management:Data Accountability Exercise in data comprehension: • What do you know? • What don’t you know? • What should you know? Are you willing to associate yourself with the metadata record? ? Making Metadata Work For You

18. Data Management:Data Accountability Repeatable process: • methods • variables • parameters Defensible process: • public participation • decision-making GIS-savvy public Metadata can be crafted to preserve individual accountability in team projects Making Metadata Work For You

19. Data Management:Data Accountability Return on Investment Catalog assessment: • # times occurs as inhouse source • # times occurs as external source • significance of source contribution To facilitate discovery: • standardized titling schemes • preferred citation w/in Use Constraints Making Metadata Work For You

20. Data Management:Data Liability Metadata is declaration of: Purpose originator’s application of the data ? ontological pedigree Use Constraints appropriate and inappropriate utility of the data Completeness what is missing from the data Distribution Liability explicit liability of the producer and assumed liability of the consumer What to do… What not to do… Making Metadata Work For You

21. Project Management via Metadata PROJECT MONITORING PROJECTPLANNING DELIVERABLES COMMON LANGUAGE Making Metadata Work For You

22. Project Management:Project Planning Project design document: • description / intent • geo & temporal extent • source data • attribute requirements Benefits: • expectations outlined • integrated into process • provide medium to record progress Making Metadata Work For You

23. Project Management:Project Monitoring Monitor: • status • QA/QC measures • changes Requires that the metadata be actively maintained and reviewed. milestones time Making Metadata Work For You

24. Project Management:Common Language for Multi-participants Common reference for: • descriptors & parameters • keywords, vocabularies & thesauri • contact information • attributes • distribution information If reviewed regularly by all participants,improved opportunity for coordinating: • source data • analytical methods • new information template Making Metadata Work For You

25. Project Management:Contract Deliverables • Metadata is a data component therefore part of any data deliverable • Clearly specify your metadata requirement via a metadata: • classification/validation schema, e.g. ‘level’ of metadata • template • specification manual Provide a sample record if possible Making Metadata Work For You

26. Conclusions If created with utility in mind, metadata can serve multiple roles: and this is only human utility of metadata… Making Metadata Work For You

27. Data Management:Reality Check Discussion Questions: • Which of these data and project management metadata applications are you most likely to use and why? • Are there additional metadata applications that would serve your organization? Making Metadata Work For You

28. data development metadata Making Metadata Part of the Process New tools enable us to better integrate metadata creation into the data development process Making Metadata Work For You

29. metadata Making Metadata Part of the Process If metadata were collected throughout the data process… • more accurate (no guessing) • more details • better decision-making. Making Metadata Work For You

30. Making Metadata Part of the Process But what can I do to better incorporate metadata into the data development process? Making Metadata Work For You

31. step one:build adminstrative support Make the business case: • preserve data investments • limit data liability • manage data resources • find new data resources • easier data transfer • more efficient data distribution Making Metadata Work For You

32. step two:build technical support Emphasize individual benefits: • reduce workload..in the long term • field fewer data inquiries • document personal contributions Making Metadata Work For You

33. step two:build technical support Support your staff • include in job descriptions & performance measures • provide • staff support • tools • training Making Metadata Work For You

34. step three:build templates Organizational templates • identify pertinent fields • populate fixed fields • standardized language • distribution methods • standards used • build source and contact libraries Making Metadata Work For You

35. Data Quality Attribute Information Attribute Information Identification Information • field check accuracies • attribute values • purpose • source files • completeness • attribute labels/domains • compilation accuracies • abstract • keywords • compilation processes • analytical processes • title • time period of content Data Planning Data Analysis Data Processing manager technicians analysts step four:distribute the effort Making Metadata Work For You

36. step five:lead by example Managers Can WRITE metadata • data planning fields title abstract purpose geographic extent keywords and many more… and manage the effort • metadata coordination • metadata enforcement Making Metadata Work For You

37. step six:policies and procedures Establish policies: • mandate use of standards and templates • develop boilerplate metadata deliverable language for data contractors • require units to publish their metadata • publish metadata SOP to document policies and procedures Making Metadata Work For You

38. Implementation Issues What are the roadblocks to metadata implementation within your organization? Making Metadata Work For You

39. Operational Content To fully realize the operational value of metadata it is important to utilize standardized vocabularies and provide rich content. The following content recommendations support: • internal data access • project monitoring • ISO transition • geodata.gov participation …see Handout ‘Metadata Quick Guide’ Making Metadata Work For You

40. Operational Content:Internal Data Access • Title Mini abstracts Minimum: where, what, when Best Practice: who, why, resolution, filename, source • Supplemental Information Include internal referencing information • project acronyms • regional/disciplinary references Making Metadata Work For You

41. Operational Content:Internal Data Access • Theme and Place Keywords • internal and external thesauri/vocabularies • Process Contacts • record as part of Process Steps • Distribution: Resource Description • internal data/document references such publication numbers, PINs or other cryptic references Making Metadata Work For You

42. Operational Content:Project Monitoring • Attribute Accuracy • Positional Accuracy • Process Steps • Prescribe content (template) • Assign responsibilities • Actively maintain/review Making Metadata Work For You

43. Operational Content:ISO Transition Theme Keyword • Theme Keyword Thesaurus: ISO 19115 Topic Categories • Include one or more Topic Categories: boundaries oceans health transportation economy society elevation farming location biota structure environment utilitiesCommunicationintelligenceMilitary geoscientificInformationinlandWaters imageryBaseMapsEarthCover planningCadastre climatologyMeteorologyAtmosphere Making Metadata Work For You

44. Operational Content:geodata.gov Online Linkage • repeatable field • used to determine content typemetadata, downloadable data, WMS, ArcIMS Making Metadata Work For You

45. Writing Quality Metadata Practice what I preach.. Using an actual data set, write a quality: • Title: • Abstract: We’ll use these later when creating metadata. Making Metadata Work For You

46. How Do I Create Metadata? Steps to Success: • Understand the organization and content of the CSDGM • Learn to use the CSDGM Workbook (aka The Greenbook) • Select a metadata editor tool • Apply the CSDGM to your data Making Metadata Work For You

47. CSDGM Overview The CSDGM documents: digital geospatial data imagery digital land surveys GIS files geographic databases MANY fields will not be applicable to your data Your mission is to understand the standard well-enough to model it for your own use. Making Metadata Work For You

48. CSDGM Overview • Standard is organized into seven primary sections • There are three ‘supporting’ sections that repeat within the primary sections: • citation • a standardized way to cite the data and source data • time period information • a standardized way to record dates • contacts • a standardized way to document contacts Making Metadata Work For You

49. CSDGM Overview 1. Identification Information • General bibliographic information including: title, originator, data contact, status, date, time period of content, abstract, purpose, keywords, geographic location 2. Data Quality Information • Lineage and data assessments sources, process methods, accuracy, data processing contact Making Metadata Work For You

50. CSDGM Overview 3. Spatial Data Organization • Data format: vector, point, raster 4. Spatial Reference Information • Coordinate system parameters: horizontal / vertical coordinate system, projection, datum Making Metadata Work For You