Metadata for Managers Anne Ball NOAA Coastal Services Center

2. Metadata for Managers Anne Ball NOAA Coastal Services Center

3. Outline • What is metadata? • Why do we need a metadata standard? • The FGDC metadata standard • How to get started • Sharing metadata • The FGDC Clearinghouse • The future

4. What is metadata?

5. What is metadata? Metadata is that component of data which describes it Chlor (chlorophyll a concentration) measured in :g/l Latitudes and longitudes were measured using ... Components of Data

6. This is the metadata for this

7. This is the metadata for this

8. This is the metadata for this Author(s) Boullosa, Carmen. Title(s) They're cows, we're pigs / by Carmen Boullosa Place New York : Grove Press, 1997. Physical Descr viii, 180 p ; 22 cm. Subject(s) Pirates Caribbean Area Fiction. Format Fiction

9. a small part of This is the metadata for this Identification_Information Citation Citation_Information Originator: NOAA Coastal Services Center Publication_Date: 19971131 Title: Hurricane Storm Surge Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: Map Publication_Information Publication_Place: Charleston, SC Publisher: NOAA Coastal Services Center Larger_Work_Citation Citation_Information

10. Why do we need a metadata standard?

11. Why do we need standards? • Standards are created to • Save time • Save money • Ensure quality • Ensure completeness

12. The importance of metadata Poor documentation often leads to loss of critical information Who’s mom? Where was this taken? How old is this photo?

13. The importance of metadata standards in libraries Libraries have been using metadata for many years to describe, manage, and help locate publications and other items Author(s) Boullosa, Carmen. Title(s) They're cows, we're pigs / by Carmen Boullosa Place New York : Grove Press, 1997. Physical Descr viii, 180 p ; 22 cm. Subject(s) Pirates Caribbean Area Fiction. Format Fiction

14. Why a metadata standard for geospatial data? • To ensure all relevant information is documented Height Latitude & Longitude Projection Datum Processing steps

15. Why should you (or your staff) write good metadata? • Your data is meaningless without it • So you won’t FORGET how you collected and processed YOUR OWN DATA • So information won’t be lost when an employee leaves • So the data can be used again in the future

16. The FGDC Metadata Standard

17. FGDC Metadata Federal Geographic Data Committee • Federal agencies and organizations receiving federal funds must document all geospatial data using the FGDC metadata format • Executive Order 12906, 1995

18. What is geospatial data? 1990 Census Miami 19.0 27.5 10.5 New Orleans 16.3 21.3 11.4 Portland 7.4 10.0 5.8 • Any data with a spatial component including: • Maps • Charts • In situ data (data collected at a specific site or station)

19. What goes into FGDC metadata? ? ? • Whocollected and who distributes the data? • What is the subject, processing, projection of the data? • When was the data collected? • Where was the data was collected? • Why was the data collected (what is the purpose)? • How was the data collected? How should it be used? • Howmuch does it cost? ?

20. FGDC Sections *Required sections 3 Supporting Sections Citation (reference) Time Period Contact

21. Links to on-line data or system • Other_Citation_Details: • Online_Linkage: http://www.csc.noaa.gov/hurricane_tracks.gif

22. How to get started writing FGDC compliant metadata

23. It’s not so bad! • First records are the hardest • Not all fields must be filled in • Tools are available • Training classes can be taken • Can often be produced automatically • Can (and should) be reviewed for updates

24. Step 1: Gather supplies • Items required: • FGDC Greenbook • Pencil or pen • Highlighter • Flags or paperclips • Chocolate • Coffee

25. Step 2: Use a tool • For all kinds of data: Word processing template from FGDC • For biological data: NBII MetaMaker • For GIS (ArcView) data: CSC Metadata Collector • Many other tools are available through FGDC Web page • Identification_Information: • Citation: • Originator: • Publication_Date: • Title: • Publication_Information: • Publication_Place: • Publisher: • Description: • Abstract:

26. Step 3: Do it! • Plan to spend a fair amount of time on your first record • Drink lots of coffee, eat lots of chocolate • Don’t worry. After the first one, it goes much faster!

27. Sharing metadata

28. Why other people should share their metadata with you • So you can find their data • So you don’t have to go out and collect it yourself • So you can tell if you want their data • So you can tell how to use their data

29. Why you should share your data (or at least your metadata) • It’s the right thing to do • It’s part of the scientific process • It makes your data visible so others (your boss, your congressman) can see what you’re doing • It encourages others to share (so you can get their data, too!)

30. What are the problems? Data providers are often required to participate in multiple data projects Project X Project Z Project Y Agency

31. Standards for Information Systems • Information retrieval standard • Z39.50 protocol (American National Standard) • Defines protocol for computer-to-computer information retrieval

32. The FGDC Clearinghouse

33. Why you should set up an FGDC Clearinghouse node • You have full control over your metadata • Your metadata is visible to the world (that means, your boss, your congressman, your fellow geographers and scientists) • It’s easy to do • Requirements: • UNIX or NT server on the Internet • Free software

34. Make your metadata available through the FGDC Clearinghouse

35. The Future: Building Data Communities

36. Possibilities for data communities • Build “data communities” by • grouping Clearinghouse nodes by common interests • building custom interfaces

37. Data Communities Coastal Information Directory So Florida Ecosystem Proj Minnesota DNR Coastal Services Center Nat’l Climatic Data Center ESRI ArcData Online Server FGDC Clearinghouse Montana State Library Nat’l Snow and Ice Hong Kong Geo.Data NOAAServer

38. Uses of metadata in information systems As input to analysis tools Map from USGS SST data from NOAA Buoy data from NBDC

39. Examples • Sample data location systems • FGDC Clearinghouse www.fgdc.gov) • NOAAServer www.esdim.noaa.gov/NOAAServer • Coastal Information Directory www.csc.noaa.gov/CID • Navy’s Master Environmental Library www-mel.nrlmry.navy.mil • National Environmental Data Index www.nedi.gov

40. Examples • Data analysis systems • National Association of Marine Laboratories (NAML) LabNet • (in development)

41. Benefits • User can select community • User can select best interface for their needs • Data provider can belong to many communities • Data provider can provide best interface to their data

42. www.fgdc.gov

43. Conclusion • Check out the FGDC Web page • Investigate opportunities to participate • create and share FGDC compliant metadata • help further standards development • encouraging others to participate