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NAVIGATION
Creating
Metadata
Parsing
metadata
Distributing
Metadata
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Where Should You Begin?
F r e q u e n t l y
A s k e d Q
u e s t i o n s
Metadata is, simply, "data about data." Metadata is information used
to describe the content, quality, condition, and characteristics of data. It
answers who, what, when, where, why, and how
about data in a consistent and precise format. That format is based on the
Content
Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata (CSDGM) adopted by the Federal Geographic Data Committee
(FGDC).
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 CSDGM Version 2.0:
The FGDC has updated the Content Standard for
Digital Geospatial Metadata. Information about this update
is available online at: http://www.fgdc.gov/metadata.
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The FGDC
Metadata Workbook, Version 2.0 is in electronic form
(Adobe Acrobat PDF - book marked
enabled).
| The workbook if free of charge and is easily
down-loadable (size 130 pages, 1Mb). The workbook complies
with the latest version of the FGDC Content Standard for
Digital Geospatial Metadata (CSDGM), FGDC-STD-001-1998 and
contends both textual and color graphical information about
the FGDC CSDGM including background information, how to read
and use |
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the Standard, a color graphical and textual
representation of the content information of the Standard, a
description of Profiles and User Defined Metadata
Extensions, and some metadata examples.
Please download the workbook and distribute it among your
organization. |
Who should create Metadata?
Data providers create metadata. Software allows the
provider to produce FGDC compliant metadata easily and efficiently. Development typically involves a "fill in the blank" form followed by a parsing
routine that ensures format consistency. Additionally, federal and Louisiana
government agencies are require to produce metadata.
Why should I create Metadata?
There are many reasons to create metadata. Here are just a
few benefits of metadata:
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Metadata supports the creation of a data inventory.
Documenting data and its availability provides agencies with
the means to measure production.
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Metadata that conform to the FGDC standard are
the basic
product of the National
Geospatial Data Clearinghouse (NGDC).
On-Line distribution catalogs of metadata, like that of the NGDC, have proven to be an efficient way distributing digital spatial
data. The process of identifying your data needs with data availability is
made easy by searching metadata records based on key fields.
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Metadata may be considered insurance.
Having metadata available insures that potential data users can make an informed decision about
the appropriate use of a dataset.
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Metadata is also a key component of
data lineage. It provides basic information about the source
and derivation of a data set.
How do I create Metadata?
If you are new to metadata, this workbook can
provide you with a starting point. Intermediate and Advanced users will find this workbook
helpful as well.
Metadata development is
more than storing text in a cryptic format. Metadata development
is organized in three phases: creation, verification, and distribution.
Metadata Creation:
Everyone must begin with this first step. Novice and expert metadata developers
must develop strategies and implement techniques to metadata
creation. The Creating
Metadata section of the workbook provides a few methods the novice and
experienced alike will find useful.
Metadata
Verification: What this really means is once a record has been
completed, the information it contains
must be reviewed, or parsed.
You will find instructions about parsing by clicking Parsing Metadata. There
you
will find the basic use of Meta Parser (mp), and how it can help you improve your metadata
development.
Metadata Distribution:
When a
metadata record has passed the parsing routine, it is ready for
distribution. There are many ways to distribute metadata, the
internet being the most common. The Distributing Metadata
section of this workbook will detail methods for internet
distribution.
L
A G I C
Louisiana Geographic Information Center |