Metadata: Making Your Data Live Longer and Go Further

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Metadata Making Your Data Live Longer and Go
Further

• John Cree
• National Information Strategies Division
• Strategic Information Integration Directorate
• Environment Canada

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Goals

• What is metadata?
• What is the value of metadata?
• What is the value of metadata standards?
• Searching metadata portals/catalogs
• Examination of metadata standards
• Creation and publishing of metadata
• Answers to your questions about metadata

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What is metadata?

• Data about data
• Metadata consists of descriptions of the
  content, quality, condition, and other
  characteristics of data corresponding to a
  standardized format using a universal set of
  terms FGDC Biological Data Profile Workbook,
  2001.

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What is metadata?

• structured information about any other resource1
  e.g sensors used for monitoring, individuals
  involved in a project, operating instructions for
  equipment e.g. digital camera
• Can be defined on many levels
• Discovery level
• Use level
• 1 anything that has identity, Tim Berners-Lee
  et al.

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What is metadata?

• 20

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What is metadata?

• 20 cm.

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What is metadata?

• Fork length 20 cm

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What is metadata?

• Lake trout Fork length 20 cm

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What is metadata?

• Ottawa River, near Temiscaming 1996/07/10
• Lake trout Fork length 20 cm

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What is metadata?

• OMNR Fisheries Research Branch, Lake Trout
  Productivity Study, Upper Ottawa River, 1996-
  1997
• Ottawa River, near Temiscaming 1996/07/10
• Lake trout Fork length 20 cm
• Lake trout Fork length 100 cm
• Lake trout Fork length 118 cm

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What is metadata?
Collection level metadata

• OMNR Fisheries Research Branch, Lake Trout
  Productivity Study, Upper Ottawa River, 1996-
  1997
• Ottawa River, near Temiscaming 1996/07/10
• Lake trout Fork length 20 cm
• Lake trout Fork length 100 cm
• Lake trout Fork length 118 cm

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What is metadata?
Collection level metadata

• OMNR Fisheries Research Branch, Lake Trout
  Productivity Study, Upper Ottawa River, 1996-
  1997
• Ottawa River, near Temiscaming 1996/07/10
• Lake trout Fork length 20 cm
• Lake trout Fork length 100 cm
• Lake trout Fork length 118 cm

Data Collection
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What is the value of metadata?

• Metadata provides documentation.
• Metadata prevents re-inventing the wheel.
• Good metadata allows comparability and
  reproducibility of study results.
• If a project is worth doing, it is worth
  documenting. If a project is not worth
  documenting, it is not worth doing.

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More value and benefits of metadata

• Makes your data live longer and go further
• Your data can be more easily discovered and used
  since its quality and applicability to others
  interests can be readily assessed.
• Thorough documentation provided by metadata
  allows others to make effective use of your data
  long after you have completed a project, or left
  an organization.
• Metadata supports the advertising of data assets
  through catalogs or portals and provides guidance
  on end-use application of data.

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What is the value of metadata standards?

• provide a consistent structure and terminology
  e.g. book cover, title, TOC, Index
• ensure that at least a minimum content is met
• can be indexed in catalogs in ways other than by
  full text search

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Applications of metadata

• sort and maintain an organizations information
  or data assets
• provide information to data catalogs and clearing
  houses
• provide information to aid in data transfer over
  space and time.

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Where is metadata used?

• Within an Organization
• for inventory and organization of information
  assets
• Between Organizations
• to facilitate exchange and re-use of information
• In Data Portals
• for information discovery, access, and
  advertising

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Data Portals (Catalogs)

• Portal Overview
• Searching Data Portals
• Principles behind Portals
• Making your information discoverable via Portals

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Portal Overview
Portal Search Interface
Information Portal (indexed metadata)
?
?
?
You
Search Results (formatted metadata)
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Portal Examples

• EMAN Site Directory
• http//www.eman-rese.ca/cgi-bin/sites/
• NBII metadata clearinghouse
• http//mercury.ornl.gov/nbii/
• GeoConnections Discovery Portal
• http//geodiscover.cgdi.ca/
• RésEau Building Canadian Water Connections
• http//map.ns.ec.gc.ca/reseau/en/

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Principles behind Portals

• Portals (i.e. Catalogs) are everywhere
• Search engines (Google)
• WFS/WMS Catalogs (ResEau)
• GeoConnections
• Rely on Standards
• Search standards currently in a state of flux,
  some using http (OGC Cat 2.0), some not (Z39.50)
• Indexing standards within catalogs
• All of the above rely on use of Metadata
  standards
• Dublin Core
• USGS FGDC Biological Data Profile
• ISO 19115
• Catalog interface can be customized to the
  intended audience
• Reseau searches for data on GDP through a
  different search interface
• EMAN-NBII clearinghouse

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Metadata Standards Dublin Core

• Dublin Core Metadata Element Set (DCMES)
• high level resource description
• for discovery purposes
• library holdings, web page indexing
• 15 elements (sub-elements, repeatable elements)
• Contributor, Coverage, Creator, Date,
  Description, Format, Resource Identifier,
  Language, Publisher, Relation, Rights, Source,
  Keywords, Title, Resource Type

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Metadata Standards FGDC

• USGS FGDC CSDGM BDP
• aka NBII
• detailed resource description
• for discovery, access and use purposes
• geospatial information, products, tools,
  services, etc.
• 350 elements (repeatable elements and groups)

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NBII or Biological Data Profile of FGDC

• Metadata in Plain Language
• http//geology.usgs.gov/tools/metadata/tools/doc/c
  tc/

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NBII or Biological Data Profile of FGDC

• The structure of the standard
• Graphics linked to help files (FGDC only)
• http//www.nbii.gov/datainfo/metadata/standards/BR
  D_metadata/version2/metav-2.html
• Graphics showing additional BDP elements
• http//www.nbii.gov/datainfo/metadata/standards/bd
  p.html

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Metadata Standards ISO19115

• ISO 19115
• international standard for describing information
  and services
• ISO19139 for XML expression
• North American profile under development
• will replace current FGDC version
• mapping from FGDC to ISO under development

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Metadata Creation
Metadata, Complete and Valid
Metadata Creation Software

• lt?xml version"1.0" encoding"ISO-8859-1"?gt
• ltmetadatagt
• ltidinfogt
• ltcitationgt
• ltciteinfogt
• ltorigingtGovernment of Canada,
  ENVIRONMENT CANADA, Deputy Minister's Office,
  Environmental Conservation Service, Canadian
  Wildlife Service, Migratory Birds, Migratory
  Birds Conservationlt/origingt
• ltorigingtGovernment of Canada,
  ENVIRONMENT CANADA, Deputy Minister's Office,
  Human Resources and Service Innovation, Knowledge
  Integration Directorate, Integrated Environmental
  Applications, Data Access and Standardslt/origingt
• ltpubdategt20041021lt/pubdategt
• lttitlegtSpring Breeding Waterfowl
  Survey - Eastern Canadalt/titlegt
• ltmetstdngtFGDC CSDGM Biological Data
  Profilelt/metstdngt
• ltmetstdvgtFGDC-STD-001.1-1999lt/metstdvgt
• lt/metainfogt
• lt/metadatagt

?
You
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EMAN Metadata Creation Tool

• Coming soon

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Metadata Creation Tools

• NOAA list of Metadata tools
• http//www.csc.noaa.gov/metadata/metatools.html
• Wisconsin NSDI Clearinghouse list of Metadata
  tools
• http//sco.wisc.edu/wisclinc/metatool/
• USGS metadata tools
• http//geology.usgs.gov/tools/metadata/

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GeoConnections Discovery Portal

• http//geodiscover.cgdi.ca/
• Update Your Content
• Note does not support Biological Data Profile

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Indented text
Keywords Theme Theme_Keyword_Thesa
urus Theme_Keyword
Taxonomy Keywords/Taxon
Taxonomic_Keyword_Thesaurus
Taxonomic_Keywords Taxonomic_Classification
Taxon_Rank_Name
Taxon_Rank_Value Access_Constraints
Use_Constraints Point_of_Contact
Contact_Information Contact_Person_Primar
y Contact_Person
Contact_Organization Contact_Address
Address_Type City
State_or_Province Postal_Code
Contact_Voice_Telephone
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address
Distribution_Information Distributor
Contact_Information Contact_Person_Prima
ry Contact_Person
Contact_Organization Contact_Address
Address_Type City
State_or_Province Postal_Code
Contact_Voice_Telephone
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address
Distribution_Liability Metadata_Reference_Infor
mation Metadata_Date Metadata_Review_Dat
e Metadata_Future_Review_Date
Metadata_Contact Contact_Information
Contact_Person_Primary
Contact_Person Contact_Organization
Contact_Address Address_Type
City State_or_Province
Postal_Code Contact_Voice_Telephone
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address
Metadata_Standard_Name Metadata_Standard_Vers
ion

• Metadata
• Identification_Information
• Citation
• Citation_Information
• Originator
• Originator
• Publication_Date
• Title
• Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form
• Online_Linkage
• Description
• Abstract
• Purpose
• Time_Period_of_Content
• Time_Period_Information
• Range_of_Dates/Times
• Beginning_Date
• Ending_Date
• Currentness_Reference

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TKME
http//geology.usgs.gov/tools/metadata/tools/doc/t
kme.html
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USGS Metadata Validation Service

• http//geo-nsdi.er.usgs.gov/validate.php

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Metadata Publishing
Metadata Publishing Utility
Your completed metadata
Information Portal

• lt?xml version"1.0" encoding"ISO-8859-1"?gt
• ltmetadatagt
• ..
• lt/metadatagt

?
You again
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Metadata Publishing methods

• Submit metadata to EMAN for NBII harvest
• Become an NBII node yourself
• http//www.nbii.gov/datainfo/metadata/clearinghou
  se/howto2.html
• Submit individual metadata records to NBII
• http//www.nbii.gov/datainfo/metadata/clearinghou
  se/submitting.html
• Geoconnections Discovery Portal Import Entry

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Controlled Vocabularies

• Controlled vocabularies are important!
• - consistency in naming, spelling etc.
• - allow consistency in searching using the same
  controlled vocabularies
• Used for keywords, place names, taxonomy, units
  etc.

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Controlled Vocabulary Resources

• NASA Global Change Master Directory
• http//gcmd.nasa.gov/Resources/valids//gcmd_parame
  ters.html
• Canadian Geographical Names Data Base
• http//geonames.nrcan.gc.ca/search/search_e.php
• ITIS (Integrated Taxonomic Information System)
• http//www.cbif.gc.ca/pls/itisca/taxaget?p_ifxcb
  if
• Unified Code for Units of Measure
• http//aurora.regenstrief.org/schadow/units/UCUM/
  ucum-essence.xml
• Marine Metadata Interoperability (MMI)
• http//marinemetadata.org/vocabularies/refs/refsen
  tries/

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Where to Get More Information About Metadata

• CISE (Canadian Information System for the
  Environment bilingual)
• http//www.cise-scie.ca/english/e-Learning/e_modu
  les.cfm
• USGS-FGDC
• http//www.fgdc.gov/metadata
• NBII
• http//www.nbii.gov/datainfo/metadata/

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What we have learned?

• Metadata definition(s), value, standards.
• Where and how metadata is used
• Creation of metadata
• Publishing of metadata
• Questions? Feedback?