The FGDC
and Metadata
• To maintain an organization's internal investment in geospatial data
• To provide information about an organization's
data holdings to data catalogues, clearinghouses, and brokerages
• To provide information needed to process and interpret data to be received through
a transfer from an external source.
Major Uses of MetadataSetting the Stage
Availability - information needed to determine the sets of data that exist for a geographic location.
Fitness for use - information needed to determine if a
set of data meets a specific need.
Access - information needed to acquire an identified set of data.
Transfer - information needed to process
and use a set of data.
The Role of Metadata
The information contained in the standard was selectedbased on the four roles that metadata play.
Setting the Stage
Information that identifies the geographic location and characteristics of natural or constructed features and boundaries on
the earth. This information may be derived from, among other things, remote sensing,
mapping, and surveying technologies.
Definitions
Geospatial data
http://www.fgdc.gov/metadata/csdgm/glossary.html
"National Spatial Data Infrastructure" means the technology, policies,
standards, and human resources necessary to acquire, process, store, distribute, and improve utilization of
geospatial data.
Definitions
NSDI
http://www.fgdc.gov/nsdi/nsdi.html
The Federal Geographic Data Committee
A 19 member interagency committee composed of representatives from the Executive Office
of the President, Cabinet-level and independent agencies.
It’s mission is to promote the coordinated use,
sharing, and dissemination of geospatial data on a national basis.
Definitions
FGDC
http://www.fgdc.gov/fgdc/fgdc.html
A distributed network of geospatial data producers, managers,
and users linked electronically.
Definitions
National Geospatial Data Clearinghouse
http://www.fgdc.gov/publications/documents/geninfo/execord.html
The Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata
(CSDGM)
Objective: To provide a common set of terminology and definitions for the
documentation of digital geospatial data.
The standard establishes the names of data elements and compound elements (groups of data elements) to be used for these purposes,
the definitions of these compound elements and data elements, and information about the values
that are to be provided for the data elements.
Definitions
http://www.fgdc.gov/metadata/contstan.html
The Content Standard is organized using numbered chapters called “sections.”
There are 7 main sections and 3 supporting sections.
Each section is organized into series of elements that define the information
content for metadata to document a set of digital geospatial data.
Organization of the Content Standard
Metadata
The Three Supporting Sections
9 Time PeriodInformation
10 Contact
Information
8 Citation
Information
Organization of the Content Standard
4 52 6 731
DataQuality
Information
SpatialData
OrganizationInformation
SpatialReference
Information
Entityand
AttributeInformation
DistributionInformation
MetadataReference
Information
IdentificationInformation
The Seven Main Sections
A production rule specifies the relationship between a
compound element, and data elements and other (lower-level) compound elements.
In the CSDGM Workbook, Version 2.0, the production
rules are expressed graphically.
Graphical Representation of Production Rules
Compound Element
Data Element
Organization of the Content Standard
Section
Interpreting the Graphical Production Rules
Data Element
A data element is a logically primitive item of data.
Data elements are the things that you “fill in.”
The form for the definition of a data element is:
Data element name -- definition.Type: (choice of “integer”, “real”, “text”, “date”, or “time”)Domain: (describes valid values that can be assigned)
An example of the definition of a data element is:
Abstract -- a brief narrative summary of the data set.Type: textDomain: free text
Note: Data element definitions are containedin the text of the Content Standard,
not in the graphical production rules.
Adapting the CSDGM
Extending the Standard
Extended elements are elements outside the Standard, but needed by the data set producer.These elements may be defined by the data set
producer or the user community.
http://www.fgdc.gov/metadata/csdgm/elements.html
The official requirements and rules forUser Defined Extensions are documented in
Appendix D of the FGDC CSDGM.
A profile is a document that describes the application of the Standard to a specific user community
A profile always contains the Standard, plus modifications to the optionality or
repeatability of non- mandatory elements in the Standard. Modifications to the domains of
standard elements can also be made where permitted by the Standard. Profiles may also
contain extended elements.
Adapting the CSDGM
Creating Profiles
http://www.fgdc.gov/metadata/csdgm/profile.html
Biological Data Profile of the CSDGM (Biological Data Working Group)
Metadata Profile for Shoreline Data
(Bathymetric Subcommittee)
CSDGM: Extensions for Remote Sensing Metadata (Standards Working Group)
FGDC Endorsed Profiles or Extensions ofthe CSDGM, version 2.0
http://www.fgdc.gov/metadata/contstan.html
• Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata (CSDGM - version 2.0)
• CSDGM, Part 1: Biological Data Profile
• Spatial Data Transfer Standard (SDTS), Part 5: Raster Profile and Extensions
• SDTS, Part 6: Point Profile
• SDTS Part 7: Computer-Aided Design and Drafting (CADD) Profile
• Cadastral Data Content Standard
• Vegetation Classification Standard
• Soils Geographic Data Standard
• Geospatial Positioning Accuracy Standard,
Part 1 - Reporting Methodology
Part 2 - Geodetic Control Networks
Part 3 - National Standard for Spatial Data Accuracy
• Content Standard for Digital Orthoimagery, Content Standard for Remote Sensing Swath Data
FGDC Endorsed Standards
http://www.fgdc.gov/standards/status/textstatus.html#Final
The FGDC metadata clearinghouse is a decentralized system of Internet
servers you can use to search for available geospatial data.
Discovering Data Through Metadata
Client
FGDCGateway
Servershousingmetadata
The descriptive information that fuels the
FGDC clearinghouse is metadata,
which is collected in a standard format
to facilitate query and consistent
presentation across the multiple
participating sites.
Discovering Data Through Metadata
A Brief Look at the FGDC Clearinghouse
The FGDC has six gateways to its
clearinghouse system, with access to over 250
spatial data servers.
www.fgdc.gov/clearinghouse/clearinghouse.html
Searches can be performed by using the NSDI Search Wizard, or by using a map interface with place names, or by place
names alone.
A Brief Look at the FGDC Clearinghouse
The new NSDI “Smart Select” Search Wizard bins servers by the types of
metadata they house.
A Brief Look at the FGDC Clearinghouse
Searches can be performedusing a map interface that allows the
user to define an area of interest.
An area of interest can be defined bydragging an area of interest box
on the map interface.
A Brief Look at the FGDC Clearinghouse
You can search all the
servers listed, or you can select only those that
interest you.
A Brief Look at the FGDC Clearinghouse
Select individual servers of interest to
your search.
A Brief Look at the FGDC Clearinghouse
Search criteria can be further refined by time period of content
and keywords.
A Brief Look at the FGDC Clearinghouse
The status of each selected node is displayed as the search
is conducted.
A Brief Look at the FGDC Clearinghouse
When the search is complete, the status window lets you know if you
were successful in discovering metadata that matched your
search criteria.
A Brief Look at the FGDC Clearinghouse
Select a server to see what
metadata is
available.
A Brief Look at the FGDC Clearinghouse
Metadata discovered by the
search is
shown by
title.
A Brief Look at the FGDC Clearinghouse
Metadata record returned in HTML format.
Links take you to each of the seven main sections of
the record.
A Brief Look at the FGDC Clearinghouse
A Brief Look at the FGDC Clearinghouse
The Coastal InformationDirectory (CID) at the NOAA Coastal Services
Center is similar to the FGDC gateway interface,
but the CID searches only those spatial data
servers that house metadata of a
coastal nature.
www.csc.noaa.gov/CID/
A Brief Look at the FGDC Clearinghouse
For more information on the clearinghouse system, visit the FGDC Web site (www.fgdc.gov).
Here you can find information on howto establish your own clearinghouse node
using free Isite software.
On-line tutorials provide assistance for setting up and configuring this software.
A Brief Look at the FGDC Clearinghouse
A Quick Look at Section 5
Entity and Attribute Information
Entity
Attributes
A Common, Everyday Example
A Quick Look at Section 5
A Quick Look at Section 5
Entity_and_Attribute_Information: Detailed_Description: Entity_Type: Entity_Type_Label: Roads Entity_Type_Definition: Paved and unpaved surfaces used for transportation. Refers to public access roads only. Entity_Type_Definition_Source: South Carolina Department of Transportation Attribute: Attribute_Label: Road_ID Attribute_Definition: Numerical value assigned to each road. Attribute_Definition_Source: South Carolina Dept. of Transportation Attribute_Domain_Values: Range_Domain: Range_Domain_Minimum: 1 Range_Domain_Maximum: 10000 Attribute_Units_of_Measure: 1
Entity_and_Attribute_Information: Detailed_Description: Entity_Type: Entity_Type_Label: Roads Entity_Type_Definition: Paved and unpaved surfaces used for transportation. Refers to public access roads only. Entity_Type_Definition_Source: South Carolina Department of Transportation Attribute: Attribute_Label: Road_ID Attribute_Definition: Numerical value assigned to each road. Attribute_Definition_Source: South Carolina Dept. of Transportation Attribute_Domain_Values: Range_Domain: Range_Domain_Minimum: 1 Range_Domain_Maximum: 10000 Attribute_Units_of_Measure: 1
Section 5 can be used to describe a wide range of
data set components.
It is perhaps the most underutilized section
of the standard.
Michael [email protected]
www.csc.noaa.gov/metadata/