Value of Metadata
Lesson 8: Value of Metadata

• Illustrate the value of metadata to data users, data providers, and organizations
• Describe the utility of metadata for a variety of scenarios
Value of Metadata

• After completing this lesson, the participant will be able to: o Identify 3 reasons metadata is of value to data users, data developers, and organizations o List 3 uses for metadata, beyond discovery of data
Value of Metadata

Plan
Analyze
Integrate
Collect
Assure
Value of Metadata
Discover
Preserve
Describe

Value of Metadata
Data users Metadata helps…
Organizations

• Metadata allows data developers to: o Avoid data duplication o Share reliable information o Publicize efforts – promote the work of a scientist and his/her contributions to a field of study
Value of Metadata

• Metadata gives a user the ability to: o Search, retrieve, and evaluate data set information from both inside and outside an organization o Find data: Determine what data exists for a geographic location and/or topic o Determine applicability: Decide if a data set meets a particular need o Discover how to acquire the dataset you identified; process and use the dataset
Value of Metadata

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Metadata helps ensure an organization’s investment in data: o Documentation of data processing steps, quality control, definitions, data uses, and restrictions o Ability to use data after initial intended purpose
Transcends people and time: o Offers data permanence o Creates institutional memory
Advertises an organization’s research: o Creates possible new partnerships and collaborations through data sharing
Value of Metadata

Time of data development
Accident or technology change may make data unusable
Specific details about problems with individual items or specific dates are lost relatively rapidly
General details about datasets are lost through time
Retirement or career change makes access to “mental storage ” difficult or unlikely
Loss of data developer leads to loss of remaining information
TIME (From Michener et al 1997)
Value of Metadata

Sound i nformation management, including metadata development, can arrest the loss of dataset detail.
TIME
Value of Metadata

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Metadata can support: o data distribution o data management o project management
If it is: o considered a component of the data o created during data development o populated with rich content derive collect classify planimetric meta imagery meta analysis charette alternative meta committee review
PLAN meta
Value of Metadata

Value of Metadata

• The descriptive content of the metadata file can be used to identify, assess, and access available data resources.
IDENTIFY
• keywords
• geographic location
• time period
• attributes
ASSESS
• use constraints
• access constraints
• data quality
• availability/pricing
ACCESS
• online access
• order process
• contacts
Value of Metadata

• A metadata collection can be published to the Internet via: o website catalog o web accessible folder (waf) o Z39.50 metadata clearinghouse o metadata service o geospatial data portal
User Query
Internet
Metadata Collection
Internet /
Intranet
Dataset
Value of Metadata

• Examples of Federal and National Portals: o USGS
• USGS Core Science Metadata Clearinghouse: http://mercury.ornl.gov/clearinghouse o Geodata Portal
• Federal e-gov geospatial data portal http:// www.geo.data.gov
o ArcGIS Online
• ESRI sponsored national geospatial data portal http:// www.geographynetwork.com
o GeoConnections Discovery Portal (Canada) http://www.geoconnections.org/en/index.html
Value of Metadata

Value of Metadata

Value of Metadata

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Data Maintenance: o Are the data current?
• Do we have data older than ten years?
• was before some political or geophysical event that resulted in significant change?
o Are the data valid?
• prior to most current source data
• prior to most current methodologies
Data Update: o Contact information o Distribution policies, availability, pricing, URLs o New derivations of the dataset
Value of Metadata

• Metadata marketing in the past…
If you create metadata, other people can discover your data
• New and improved message…
If you create metadata, you can find your own data
Value of Metadata

• Find your data by: o themes / attributes o geographic location o time ranges o analytical methods used o sources and contributors o data quality
Discoverable data is usable data!
Value of Metadata

• Metadata is an exercise in data accountability. It requires you to assess: o What do you know about the dataset?
o What don’t you know about the dataset?
o What should you know about the dataset?
Are you willing to associate yourself with the metadata record ?
Value of Metadata

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Metadata allows you to repeat scientific process if: o methodologies are defined o variables are defined o analytical parameters are defined
INPUT
Metadata allows you to defend your scientific process: o demonstrate process o increasingly GIS-savvy public requires metadata for consumer information
RESULTS
Value of Metadata

• Metadata is a declaration of:
Purpose o the originator’s intended application of the data
What to do.
What not to do…
Use Constraints o inappropriate applications of the data
Completeness o features or geographies excluded from the data
Distribution Liability o explicit liability of the data producer and assumed liability of the consumer
Value of Metadata

Project
Coordination
Value of Metadata

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Metadata records can serve as a project design document: o descriptions & intent of project o geographic and temporal extent of project o source data of project o attribute requirements of project
Benefits: o expectations are clearly outlined o metadata is integrated into the process o provides a medium to record progress
Value of Metadata

• Use metadata to monitor: o data development status o QA/QC assessments o needed changes in approach
Monitoring requires that the metadata be actively maintained and reviewed!
Value of Metadata time

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Metadata can be a means to improve communications among project participants o descriptions & parameters o keywords, vocabularies, thesauri o contact information o attributes o distribution information
If reviewed regularly by all participants, metadata created early and updated during the project improves opportunity for coordinating: o source data o analytical methods o new information
Value of Metadata

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As a key component of the data, metadata should be part of any data deliverable
For quality metadata from a deliverable, the record should provide: o Citation information o Data quailty information o Accurate geospatial information o Entities and attributes clearly defined o Distribution information
Value of Metadata

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Metadata is of critical importance to data developers, data users, and organizations
Metadata can be effectively used for: o data distribution o Data management o Project management
Metadata completes a dataset.
Creating robust metadata is in your OWN best interest!
Value of Metadata

Value of Metadata
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