Due to the increasing availability of geospatial data on the web, and the expanding universe of GIS users, accurate and up-to-date metadata is now more than ever a key part of data use, maintenance, and development.
The creation of metadata that conforms to GIS community standards, is closely integrated with your data, and is stored in industry-standard XML format is critical to making your data fully useful to your clients. It ensures institutional continuity, fosters good data maintenance practices, and, where appropriate, advertises your data through metadata publication.
Students will build FGDC-compliant metadata with ArcCatalog tools and metadata extensions. In-line quality assessment will provide immediate feedback for producing a final XML document and publishable stylesheets in XML format.
Metadata maintenance and KCGIS posting and publishing protocols, as well as other downstream enterprise products and future development plans, will be described. A step-by-step workbook with easy-to-follow visual guides and hints will be provided as part of the class and used in exercises for creating student metadata. It will also serve as a valuable take-home tool for future metadata creation or maintenance.
Audience
Document Your Data: Mastering Metadata is for all King County GIS data/metadata maintainers as well as other database and data stewards. The material is also useful for subject matter experts who do not use ArcCatalog’s metadata editor extensively but who are responsible for providing the content that goes into the metadata. This class is also open to members of the public as the techniques, tools, and products discussed comply with industry and GIS community standards and are applicable
to any organization interested in building or improving the quality of their data library through more complete and structured documentation.
Goals
Students will leave class with complete, error-free, FGDC-compliant metadata that has good user value.
Students will gain an understanding of key sections of the FGDC (Federal Geographic Data Committee)standard (but don't worry, this isn't a "walk-through" of the standard).
Students will learn how to use ArcCatalog's metadata tools and extensions to successfully import, synchronize and quality-check their metadata.
Students will export their metadata to a standalone XML document and publish your metadata to HTML format using various stylesheets.
Students will view their metadata as a living document tightly linked to the maintenance of their data set.
Topics
Covered
XML metadata format and ArcCatalog Metadata Editor.
National Park Service Metadata Tool extension.
Hints on interpreting the FGDC standard and tips in applying it to real life.
Real FGDC metadata content as examples to creating your own.
In-class exercises to import, edit, QC and export what you've created.
How to review enumeration listings to make logical choices on how to document your data.
Techniques for performing quality control/assessment on your metadata.
Tips and ideas on maintaining your documentation long-term.
Creating HTML stylesheet versions of your metadata for publication.
