WHAT IS METADATA?

Modified from a presentation prepared by:

Date Latitude Longitude Chlor3/22/91 32.677 -117.8963/23/91 33.011 -117.1933/25/91 33.523 -116.328

What is metadata?

Metadata is that component of data which describes it

Metadata

Non-spatial orattributes

Spatial

Components of Data

Chlor (chlorophyll a concentration) measured in g/l

Latitudes and longitudes were measured using ...

This is the metadata for this

This is the metadata for this

This is the metadata for this

Author(s) Boullosa, Carmen. Title(s) They're cows, we're pigs / by Carmen Boullosa Place New York : Grove Press, 1997. Physical Descr viii, 180 p ; 22 cm. Subject(s) Pirates Caribbean Area Fiction. Format Fiction

This is the metadata for this

Identification_Information Citation Citation_Information Originator: NOAA Coastal Services Center Publication_Date: 19971131 Title: Hurricane Storm Surge Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: Map Publication_Information Publication_Place: Charleston, SC Publisher: NOAA Coastal Services Center Larger_Work_Citation Citation_Information

Why do we need standards?

Standards are created to•Save time•Save money•Ensure quality•Ensure completeness

The importance of metadata

Poor documentation often leads to loss of critical information

Who’s mom?Where was this taken?How old is this photo?

The importance of metadata standards in libraries

Author(s) Boullosa, Carmen. Title(s) They're cows, we're pigs / by Carmen Boullosa Place New York : Grove Press, 1997. Physical Descr viii, 180 p ; 22 cm. Subject(s) Pirates Caribbean Area Fiction. Format Fiction

Libraries have been using metadata for many years to describe, manage, and help locate publications and other items

•To ensure all relevant information is documented

Why a metadata standard for geospatial data?

Why should you (or your staff) write good metadata?

•Your data is meaningless without it•So you won’t FORGET how you collected and processed YOUR OWN DATA•So information won’t be lost when an employee leaves•So the data can be used again in the future

Date 1/12/30Loc MINVA 32.3B 48.8MB 3.1

•Any data with a spatial component including:•Maps•Charts•In situ data (data collected at a specific site or station)

What is geospatial data?

1990 CensusMiami 19.0 27.5 10.5 New Orleans 16.3 21.3 11.4 Portland 7.4 10.0 5.8

Why other people should share their metadata with you

•So you can find their data •So you don’t have to go out and collect it yourself

•So you can tell if you want their data

•So you can tell how to use their data

•It enables individuals using data produced by anybody else (is that population data set related to 1960 or 2000?)

•It prevents individuals from stealing your data (all sources are acknowledged)

•It makes your data visible so others can see what you’re doing

•It encourages others to share their data

Benefits of sharing metadata

Uses of metadata in information systems

As input to analysis tools

SST data from NOAA

Buoy data from NBDC

Map from USGS