Developments with the FGDC and ISO Metadata Standards

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Developments with the FGDC and ISO Metadata
Standards

• By Rick Pearsall
• FGDC Metadata Coordinator
• rpearsall_at_usgs.gov

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Metadata
(From the Wisconsin Land Information Association)
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What Is the National Spatial Data Infrastructure?

• NSDI is the technologies, policies, standards,
  and human resources necessary to acquire,
  process, store, distribute, and improve the
  utilization of geospatial data.
• Executive Order 12906 - Coordinating Geographic
  Data Acquisition and Access The National Spatial
  Data Infrastructure (NSDI) - April 1994
• Managed/Coordinated by the Federal Geographic
  Data Committee (FGDC)
• Part of a Global Spatial Data Infrastructure

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National Spatial Data Infrastructure
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Geospatial DataSome Examples
Field Measurements
Maps
Spatially-referenced Data
Remotely-sensed Images
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Roles of Metadata

• To provide inventory of ones own work or to share
  in the local work group (inventory)
• To support search and advertising of a data set
  based on its extended properties for others to
  find (catalog)
• To provide end-users of data sets with adequate
  information for proper use (documentation)

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FGDC CSDGM

• Content Standard for Digital Geospatial
  Metadata Version 1 (FGDC-STD-001)
• Approved June 8, 1994
• Provided basic framework for metadata activities
• Content Standard for Digital Geospatial
  Metadata Version 2 (FGDC-STD-001-1998)
• Approved June 19, 1998
• Supersedes CSDGM V1 - June 8, 1994
• Provides for Profiles User Extensions
• FGDC V1 Compliant Metadata Records still
  compliant

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Objectives (Does)

• Supports common uses of metadata.
• internal investment - clearinghouse - transfer
• Developed from the perspective of "what
• do I need to know about a data set?"
• availability - fitness - access - transfer
• Identifies metadata semantics and schema
• Provides a common set of terminology
• and definitions, and information
• about values to be provided.

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Objectives (Doesn't)

• The standards do not specify
• the means to organize information in
• a computer system.
• the means to organize information in
• a data transfer.
• the means by which the information
• is transmitted, communicated, or presented to
  the user.

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Evaluation Criteria

• Availability data needed to determine the sets
  of data that exist for a geographic location.
• Fitness for Use data needed to determine if a
  set of data meets a specific need.
• Access data needed to acquire an identified
  set of data.
• Transfer data needed to process and use a set
  of data.

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ISO Metadata Standard

• ISO Metadata Standard
• Being developed by ISO Technical Committee
  211, Project 15046-15 (20 Projects - Subject
  Area Experts)
• Developed via consensus
• Voluntary Standard
• Initial development began 1996

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ISO Metadata StandardContd

• ISO Metadata Standard
• First Working Draft - CSDGM Version 1
• Supports Profile/User Extensions
• ISO Metadata Standard Development/Implementat
  ion geared to national profile(s)
• At Committee Draft Phase of ISO Standards
  Development Process (5 steps)
• Scheduled to be approved Late Summer 1999

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FGDC Link to ISO

• FGDC Member of American National Standards
  Institute (ANSI) L1 Committee - Geospatial
  Standards
• ANSI L1 is Voting Member to ISO TC211

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FGDC Plans for the ISO Metadata Standard

• Why worry ISO Metadata Standard?
• Office of Management Budget Circular A-119
• - Directs preference in use of International
  Standards National Standards
• Global environment - Global Spatial Data
  Infrastructure
• FGDC plans to adopt ISO Metadata Standard once
  approved.
• Will replace CSDGM Version 2
• US/FGDC Profile development early spring 1999
  using ISO Draft International Metadata Standard

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FGDC Registered Review of ISO Metadata Standard
Committee Draft

• July 13, 1998 - September 11, 1998
• 210 Registrants - US Citizens or
  represent interests of US Companies
• Over 450 comments received/adjudicated
• FGDC comments provided to ANSI for
  incorporation with other US comments

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FGDC ISO

• Metadata
• Identification
• Data Quality
• Spatial Organization
• Spatial Reference
• Entity/Attributes
• Distribution
• Metadata Reference
• Citation
• Contact
• Time

• Metadata
• Identification
• Data Quality
• Lineage
• Spatial Organization
• Spatial Reference
• Entity/Attributes
• Distribution
• Metadata Reference
• Citation
• Responsible Party
• Address
• Extent (BP, VT, Tmp)
• On-line resource

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ISO Metadata FGDC CSDGM V2

• ISO/FGDC Metadata Standard Differences
• ISO more elements then FGDC
• Many more Optional elements
• Addresses many known deficiencies in FGDC CSDGM
• (ie Raster/Imagery)
• Necessary to meet international requirements
• ISO - 2 levels of compliance (catalog
  complete/full)
• Terminology Differences
• Obligation differences
• Element Name differences
• FGDC Metadata Records are not ISO compliant

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ISO Metadata Standard Implementation/Education

• Implementation Issues
• Software development to migrate FGDC Metadata
  records to ISO
• Metadata Collection/Validation Software (ISO
  Metadata Tools/parsers/editors/).
• Education
• Training
• Materials - ie factsheets, workbooks
• Timetable
• Migration of existing metadata records
• Population of new metadata records

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For further informationContact the FGDCweb
www.fgdc.govemailfgdc_at_www.fgdc.gov
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