http://sofia.usgs.gov

Please note: this presentation has not received Director’s approval and is subject to

revision.

http://sofia.usgs.gov

SOFIA Information Management:

Metadata management and maintenance

Heather Henkel

October 1, 2003http://sofia.usgs.gov

SOFIA Information Management

• Background

• Overview of website

• Metadata

• Future of SOFIA

October 1, 2003http://sofia.usgs.gov

SOFIA Information Management

• Background• Overview of website

• Metadata

• Future of SOFIA

October 1, 2003http://sofia.usgs.gov

Background - “The Early Years”

• Website initiated in 1995

• Intention to provide “one-stop shopping”– Access to all major

components (website, data, metadata)

• Initially fewer than 100 pages and visitors

October 1, 2003http://sofia.usgs.gov

Background - Still growing

• Website provides access all available information– Proposals, publications,

data, metadata, current events

• Currently over 4600 documents and over 1500 visitors/day

October 1, 2003http://sofia.usgs.gov

SOFIA Information Management

• Background

• Overview of website• Metadata

• Future of SOFIA

October 1, 2003http://sofia.usgs.gov

Overview of Website

• http://sofia.usgs.gov• Website updated

weekly• New additions

highlighted on front page– Link to past

highlights

October 1, 2003http://sofia.usgs.gov

Overview - Navigation

• Navigation designed in 1998, updated in 2003– Based on usability (user) testing

• Logical groups

– Navigation on all pages

October 1, 2003http://sofia.usgs.gov

Overview - Search

• Search function on all pages provides immediate access

• Robust search engine

October 1, 2003http://sofia.usgs.gov

Overview - Help

• Walks users through website• Small window provides assistance

October 1, 2003http://sofia.usgs.gov

Overview - Projects

• Listed by title, investigator, region, topic, or program

• Each project page links to proposals, data, metadata, publications, related information

October 1, 2003http://sofia.usgs.gov

Overview - Results

• Provides links to:– Publications

• Includes both publications produced by the SOFIA program as well as historical south Florida publications

– Results presented at past meetings– South Florida Restoration Science Forum (held

in 1999)– Synthesis projects

October 1, 2003http://sofia.usgs.gov

Overview - Results > Publications

• Three different ways to locate a publication– Search publications– View by publication

type• Includes formal and

information publications

– View by topic and subtopic

October 1, 2003http://sofia.usgs.gov

Overview - Results > Publications (cont.)

• New enhanced publications search coming Spring 2004

• Will allow users to search by:– Title– Author(s)– Year– Number(s)– Type– Topic

October 1, 2003http://sofia.usgs.gov

Overview - Information

• Provides links to:– Personnel pages and SOFIA contacts– Information about the SOFIA website

and program– Links to our educational/outreach

activities– Calendar of upcoming events

October 1, 2003http://sofia.usgs.gov

Overview - Data

• Links to other major components of SOFIA information management system– Database

• Currently under a redesign

– Data exchange– Metadata– Internet Map Service (IMS), under development

October 1, 2003http://sofia.usgs.gov

Overview - Data Exchange• Originally just an ftp site to allow scientists

to share data– Eventually became a quick way to get data out to

everyone before it is loaded into the database

• Organized by topic

October 1, 2003http://sofia.usgs.gov

Overview - Data Exchange (cont.)

• Direct access to data sets as well as:– Format information– Methodology– Location map– Site listings– Photos– Project information

October 1, 2003http://sofia.usgs.gov

Overview - Metadata• Over 120 metadata records• Listed by author• Metadata search• Link to more robust metadata search through

FGDC website

October 1, 2003http://sofia.usgs.gov

SOFIA Information Management

• Background

• Overview of website

• Metadata• Future of SOFIA

October 1, 2003http://sofia.usgs.gov

SOFIA Metadata

• Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) metadata standard used from the beginning

• Survey of project chiefs showed they felt metadata was important to their work, but did not have time to create it themselves

• SOFIA Metadata project component added

October 1, 2003http://sofia.usgs.gov

Metadata Methodology

• When a new project is authorized, a metadata record is created

• As the project progresses and data becomes available, the metadata record is updated and another record is made for the data exchange pages Chart (modified) from www.fgdc.gov

October 1, 2003http://sofia.usgs.gov

Metadata Methodology (cont.)

• Metadata created using Spatial Metadata Management System (SMMS) from Intergraph

• Then parsed through USGS metadata parser, mp

• Output in three formats:– html (standard & FAQ)

versions

– text

– xml

October 1, 2003http://sofia.usgs.gov

Metadata Methodology (cont.)

• Once a metadata record has been created, it is uploaded to the SOFIA server

• In order to index the metadata records:– Metadata server (zserver) is

stopped

– Database is reindexed

– Metadata server restarted

• Server software is separate from web server software

October 1, 2003http://sofia.usgs.gov

Metadata Methodology (cont.)

• New records are now available via both the SOFIA search and FGDC search

October 1, 2003http://sofia.usgs.gov

SOFIA Information Management

• Background

• Overview of website

• Metadata

• Future of SOFIA

October 1, 2003http://sofia.usgs.gov

Future of SOFIA

• Usability test conducted at GEER conference (April 2003)– Adjustments will be made to

website based on findings– Overall, SOFIA tested

extremely well

• New database interface• Internet Map Server (IMS)• Continued addition of data,

publications, project information

October 1, 2003http://sofia.usgs.gov

Thank you

Questions?