Sneak Preview: The New US Geospatial Metadata Standard

1. Sneak Preview:The New US Geospatial Metadata Standard GeoMaximFederal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) Lynda Wayne, GISPSharon Shin

2. The US is in the final stages of adopting a national geospatial metadata standard. While the FGDC geospatial metadata standard was a federal standard recognized by most state and local governments, the forthcoming standard will be an American National Standards Institute (ANSI) implementation of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Geographic Information - Metadata (standard). This new standard, while based heavily on the FGDC Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata (CSDGM) version 2.0, introduces new formats and content that incorporate more robust data structures, e.g. flexibility, while at the same time addressing the need for increased standardization in individual element values, e.g. domains. Get a sneak preview of these new features as well as the draft guidance workbook under development by the FGDC.

3. we are here start finish • North American Profile (NAP) Status • US is in the final is in the final stages of adopting a national geographic metadata standard • Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata aka ‘FGDC’ metadata standard is a federal standard • NAP is an American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standard with broader applicability • ANSI approval is expected in early 2009 scale determined by ISO, ANSI, INCITS L1 and various other acronyms

4. Transition to the NAP • transition will be staged as it as with the FGDC standard • apply to new metadata records • translate existing metadata records • FGDC is working with NSGIC, URISA and others to develop effective transition strategies • translation applications under development by FGDC, Intergraph, ESRI and several international metadata application developers CSDGM NAP

5. New or Robust Sections • - Resource Maintenance • added functionality • - Data Quality • increased structure

6. What’s New with the NAP? • New Elements • International elements • Data / Metadata Language • Technical elements • Character Set Encoding • Extended elements • CSDGM = geographic and temporal extent • NAP = geographic, temporal, & Vertical Extent • Needed elements • Topic Category– 19standardized subject categories to facilitate data discovery

7. What’s New with the NAP? • Conditionality • Fewer mandatory elements • Core contains only 7 mandatory elements • Dataset Title • Dataset Reference Date • Dataset Language • Dataset Topic Category • Abstract • Metadata Point of Contact • Metadata Date Stamp • ...includes far more optional elements

8. What’s New with the NAP? • Domains • More standardized domains and code lists in place of free text to control vocabulary and improve discovery • Contact Role = author, distributor, custodian, point of contact… • Topic Category = transportation, environment, elevation, biota…. • Online Function = download, information, offline access… • Keyword Type = theme, place, stratum, temporal… • Maintenance Frequency = continual, daily, weekly, annually… • Progress = completed, archived, obsolete, ongoing, planned… • Topic Category = transportation, environment, oceans, biota…

9. What’s New with the NAP? • Content • Includes elements to document geospatial services • Web Mapping Services • Geospatial Data Catalogues and Portals • Other • Does not CURRENTLY include Entity & Attribute documentation • documented by ISO 19110: Feature Catalog • NAP team intends to extend NAP to include Feature Catalog in next version

10. What’s New with the NAP? • Multilevel Metadata • Metadata can be created for: • Data Series - wetlands • Dataset - Paducah wetlands • Feature Type - marsh • Feature Instance - Mandy’s Marsh • Attribute Type - salinity • Attribute Instance - actual % water salinity

11. Implementation Resources Under Development • 1. Transition Guidance • what’s different and why • transition strategies • incorporating entities/attributes • best practices • transitional FAQ • other? • item

12. Implementation Resources Under Development • 2. Graphical Representation • update to “Stitt” diagrams • hyperlinked and printable • other? • item

13. Implementation Resources Under Development • 3. Workbook/Reference Document • based on CSDGM Workbook 2.0 • background (w/transition guidance) • components • conditionality • section by section review • definitions • best practices • examples • FAQs • other? • item

14. Staying Current • Join the FGDC Metadata Working Group • quarterly telecons to discuss federal and stakeholder metadata activities and issues • regular calls for review/input • regular calls for task/committee participation • Send email to Sharon (SShin@usgs.gov) include: • name • organization • ‘please add my email to the Metadata Working Group’

15. Staying Current • Participate in Resource Materials Reviews • transition guidance and strategies • graphical representation • workbook/reference doc • other • Send email to Lynda (Lwayne@fgdc.gov) include: • name • ‘I am interested in contributing to the (resource) development and review’

16. Staying Current • Join the international Metadata Listserver • issue and implementation oriented discussions • low traffic • Go to: • http://lists.geocomm.com/mailman/listinfo/metadata

17. Questions? • Lynda Wayne Lwayne@fgdc.gov • Sharon Shin SShin@usgs.gov