The Water Resources NSDI Node is an online centralized repository of digital metadata that conforms to the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) standards.

Preparing Metadata for the WRD NSDI Node

· Learn more about how to generate metadata when using Arc 10 metadata from Curtis Price's documentation at https://internal.cida.usgs.gov/wiki/x/JYE6AQ .

· Additional information is available at the Documenting ESRI data sets with metadata at the Enterprise GIS site

By now, we hope there is no need to convince USGS GIS'ers that it's a good idea to document your GIS datasets with metadata. Just in case you have to convince your boss, here's why:

• Good metadata gets your work much more exposure and makes it easier to find.
• Search engines based on the FGDC metadata standard are becoming more effective at letting others find your spatial data sets.
• You don't have to worry about storing and distributing data.
• The Water Mission Area maintains Spatial Data Sets Available on the WRD NSDI Node which are available (harvested) by metadata search engines like Geoplatform.gov, Data.gov, ScienceBase.gov, and others.

Getting Started

Create a stand-alone XML metadata file conforming to the CSDGM standard ("FGDC metadata"). If you are using ArcGIS Desktop, follow the procedures documented by USGS EGIS in Documenting ESRI Data Sets with Metadata. Otherwise, either refer to your software documentation or the USGS Metadata Tools or the Tools and Guidance page on this site.

Validate XML metadata file

1. Before submitting your files to the NODE by using the Data Submission Form, open a browser window and go to the USGS Geospatial Metadata Validation Service web page, https://geo-nsdi.er.usgs.gov/validate.php
2. In your browser window, click on the Browse button, highlight the copy of your metadata file created in step 2 above, and click on the Open button.
3. In your browser window, click on the Validate button.
4. Click on either Error report or Error Listing to view problems with your metadata.

Documenting ArcGIS data sets with metadata:

A step-by-step guidance web page has been designed by Enterprise GIS to help you most effectively edit and create ArcGIS and standalone metadata required for the WRD NSDI node. This cookbook should also be helpful for anyone that needs to create FGDC CSDGM2 metadata records using ArcCatalog, mp, and related tools." This link provides a step-by-step guidance web page designed to help you most effectively edit and create ArcGIS and standalone metadata required for the WRD NSDI node. This cookbook should also be helpful for anyone that needs to create FGDC CSDGM2 metadata records using ArcCatalog, mp, and related tools.

Finally, read the rest of this page! You need to include the standard elements described below. You may need to modify templates or the metadata to include these elements.

What's New?

All older metadata files in .html, .txt. or .sgml have been converted to .xml, and validated against the FGDC schema. The new format allows Data.gov to perform searches using a modern search engine.

The getspatial program transfers you right back to the XML metadata. The XML metadata files contain all the information we used to show with getspatial, so there's no need for a separate presentation. This change is one of the reasons we're being careful to make sure that your metadata file contains all the necessary information. We still need getspatial because it's a persistent address. If, someday, we move the metadata files, getspatial will point to the new location.

Naming Conventions

Every dataset must have a unique name, and we recommend that all files associated with a dataset begin with this name. Only the named "metadata.xml" file has to be provided in lower-case for the node. Any other file(s) associated with your data can use CAPS even though it is not common computer syntext practice to use CAPs in a naming convention. Most new spatial data sets are released as a Data Series, e.g. "Data Series 102". (See USGS Publication Series for more information.) A dataset released as Data Series 102 would be named "ds102". If there are multiple datasets, you would name them "ds102_glac_limit", "ds102_surf_geology", etc.

If your dataset is not a separate dataset but associated with a report, we recommend that its name begin with the report series and number. For example, if Open-file report 02-338 is associated with datasets "bedrock" and "outcrop", the two datasets should be named ofr02-338_bedrock and ofr02-338_outcrop . An export file, then, should be named something like, ofr02-338_bedrock.e00.zip .

Please try to avoid using an unqualified general name like just plain "bedrock" for your dataset, as it presents obvious potential for confusion and conflicts with other datasets. The Water Webserver Team will advise you if names are not suitable.

Standard Elements

XML headings

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<?xml-stylesheet type="text/xsl" href="fgdc_classic.xsl"?>
<metadata xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:noNamespaceSchemaLocation="https://water.usgs.gov/GIS/metadata/usgswrd/fgdc-std-001-1998.xsd">

The reference to the style sheet is local. If you want to see how your XML file looks with the style sheet, download the style sheet to the same directory as the XML file. Then, open the XML file with your browser. The style sheet causes the browser to reformat the XML so it looks just like HTML metadata.

Links

• <onlink> (onlink link -- see below)
• <browsen> (browse graphic -- see below)
• <networkr> (network resource)
• <cntemail> (contact email -- see below)

The first online link element in every metadata file, "onlink" must contain a reference to the "getspatial" element to ensure a reference to the node where the metadata and data reside. This allows other metadata catalogs like data.gov to reference the node and access the data.

<onlink>https://water.usgs.gov/lookup/getspatial?ofr02-338_bedrock</onlink>

Browse Graphics, browse

<browse>
  <browsen>https://water.usgs.gov/GIS/browse/ofr02-338_bedrock_map1.gif</browsen>
  <browsed>Illustration of the dataset.</browsed>
  <browset>GIF</browset>
</browse>

Ideally your browse image file should not be poster size, nor should it be the size of an icon. Something around 6 to 8 inches in the X or Y direction will work just fine. If you are having problems with resizing the image size or changing the resolution of the image or converting from one image format to another - be sure to make a comment in the submission form when submitting your request - and we will take care of it.. It does not matter if your browse graphic is layed out in landscape or portrait orientation.

Point of Contact, Contact USGS, Send Feedback Email Forms, cntemail

Basically there are four contact areas in the metadata that require contact information:
The first contact area is the Point of Contact within the Identification Information tag category <idinfo></idinfo> . If you do not want to give yourself as the cntper, you can use your project chief's name, the project name, your field office, the State you work in, or U.S. Geological Survey as the contact person.

EXAMPLE 1:

<origin>Fischer, Brian C.</origin>
<origin>McGuire, Virginia L.</origin>
<pubdate>1999</pubdate>
<title>Digital map of water-level changes in the High Plains aquifer in parts of Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming, 1980 to 1997</title>
<edition>1.0</edition>
<geoform>digital data</geoform>
<serinfo>
<sername>Open-File Report</sername>
<issue>USGS OFR 99-96</issue>
</serinfo>
<pubinfo>
<pubplace>Reston, VA</pubplace>
<publish>U.S. Geological Survey</publish>
</pubinfo>
<onlink>https://water.usgs.gov/lookup/getspatial?ofr00-96_wlc80_97</onlink>
<lworkcit>
<citeinfo>

EXAMPLE 2:
<ptcontac>
<cntinfo>
<cntorgp>
<cntorg>US Geological Survey</cntorg>
<cntper>Virginia L. McGuire</cntper>
</cntorgp>
<cntpos>Hydrologist</cntpos>
<cntaddr>
<addrtype>mailing</addrtype>
<address>5231 South 19th Street</address>
<city>Lincoln</city>
<state>Nebraska</state>
<postal>68512</postal>
<country>US</country>
</cntaddr>
<cntvoice>402-328-4100</cntvoice>
<cntemail>jstanton@usgs.gov</cntemail>
</cntinfo>
</ptcontac>

EXAMPLE 3:
<cntinfo>
<cntorgp>
<cntorg>U.S. Geological Survey</cntorg>
</cntorgp>
<cntpos>Ask USGS - - Water Webserver Team</cntpos>
<cntaddr>
<addrtype>mailing</addrtype>
<address>445 National Center</address>
<city>Reston</city>
<state>Virginia</state>
<postal>20192</postal>
<country>US</country>
</cntaddr>
<cntvoice>1-888-275-8487 (1-888-ASK-USGS)</cntvoice>
<cntemail>https://water.usgs.gov/user_feedback_form.html</cntemail>
</cntinfo>

And finally the fourth contact link is located towards the bottom of the metadata file within the Metadata Reference Information <metainfo></metainfo>. The "&amp;" is needed, because the ampersand is a reserved character in XML. Stylesheets will handle this properly.) This link generates a Contact USGS form page titled with the name of your GIS Dataset to help us find the issue within the specific GIS dataset.

EXAMPLE 4:
<cntinfo>
<cntorgp>
<cntorg>US Geological Survey</cntorg>
</cntorgp>
<cntpos>Ask USGS -- Water Webserver Team</cntpos>
<cntaddr>
<addrtype>mailing</addrtype>
<address>445 National Center</address>
<city>Reston</city>
<state>Virginia</state>
<postal>20192</postal>
<country>US</country>
</cntaddr>
<cntvoice>1-888-275-8487 (1-888-ASK-USGS)</cntvoice>
<cntemail>https://answers.usgs.gov/cgi-bin/gsanswers?pemail=h2oteam&amp;subject=GIS+Dataset+sim13-3259</cntemail>
</cntinfo>

"inlandWaters" Keyword, themekey

<keywords>
<theme>
<themekt>USGS Thesaurus</themekt>
<themekey>aquifers</themekey>
<themekey>ground water</themekey>
<themekey>groundwater</themekey>
<themekey>High Plains aquifer</themekey>
<themekey>Ogallala Formation</themekey>
<themekey>Ogallala aquifer</themekey>
<themekey>water-level change</themekey>
<themekey>inlandWaters</themekey>
</theme>

<theme>
<themekt>ISO 19115 Topic Categories</themekt>
<themekey>geoscientificInformation</themekey>
<themekey>inlandWaters</themekey>
</theme>

<place>
<placekt>Geographic Names Information System</placekt>
<placekey>High Plains</placekey>
<placekey>Great Plains region</placekey>
<placekey>western U.S.</placekey>>
</place>
</keywords>

Distribution Information, distinfo

/metadata/distinfo must contain certain standard elements. The contact information will refer the user to the ESIC's and the Water Webserver Team. We don't want to refer customers directly to the authors, who retire or move, any more than a library wants to ask its patrons to call Charles Dickens! Authors get their credit in the /metadata/idinfo/citation/citeinfo/origin element.

Permissible variations and explanatory notes are shown in green.

You can download a plain-text copy.

<distinfo>
 <distrib>
  <cntinfo>
   <cntorgp>
    <cntorg>U.S. Geological Survey</cntorg>
   </cntorgp>
   <cntpos>Ask USGS – Water Webserver Team</cntpos>
   <cntaddr>
    <addrtype>mailing</addrtype>
    <address>445 National Center</address>
    <city>Reston</city>
    <state>VA</state>
    <postal>20192</postal>
   </cntaddr>
   <cntvoice>1-888-275-8747 (1-888-ASK-USGS)</cntvoice>
   <cntemail> https://water.usgs.gov/user_feedback_form.html </cntemail>
  </cntinfo>
 </distrib>
 <distliab>Although this data set has been used by the U.S. Geological
Survey, U.S. Department of the Interior, no warranty expressed or
implied is made by the U.S. Geological Survey as to the accuracy
of the data and related materials. The act of distribution shall not
constitute any such warranty, and no responsibility is assumed by
the U.S. Geological Survey in the use of this data, software, or
related materials.

Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive
purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S.
Government.
Authors may add additional disclaimers.</distliab>
 <stdorder>  
  <digform> You must have one of these elements for each file distributed.
   <digtinfo>
    <formname>Export Coverage, Shape File, Geodatabase, etc.,</formname>
    <formcont>Full coverage. Example. Alternate description may go here.</formcont>
    <filedec>Win zipped</filedec>
    <transize>10 (Example is in megabytes)</transize>
   </digtinfo>
   <digtopt>
    <onlinopt>
     <computer>
      <networka>
       <networkr>https://water.usgs.gov/GIS/dsdl/ofr02-338_bedrock.e00.zip</networkr>
       Nearly all datasets will be distributed from this directory.
      </networka>
     </computer>
    </onlinopt>
   </digtopt>
  </digform>
  <digform> This is for a second distribution file. Use as many as necessary.
  (Follows same format as previous)
  </digform>
  <fees>None. This dataset is provided by USGS as a public service.</fees>
  </stdorder>
  Use the optional <techpreq> element here for information that pertains to all the distribution files.
</distinfo>

Metadata Information metainfo

<metainfo>
 <metd>20041108</metd>
 <metc>
  <cntinfo>
   <cntorgp>
    <cntorg>U.S. Geological Survey</cntorg>
   </cntorgp>
   <cntpos>Ask USGS - Water Webserver Team</cntpos>
   <cntaddr>
    <addrtype>mailing</addrtype>
    <address>445 National Center</address>
    <city>Reston</city>
    <state>VA</state>
    <postal>20192</postal>
   </cntaddr>
   <cntvoice>1-888-275-8747 (1-888-ASK-USGS)</cntvoice>
   <cntemail>https://answers.usgs.gov/cgi-bin/gsanswers?pemail=h2oteam&amp;subject=GIS+Dataset+the name of your metadata file, Example: ofr02-338_bedrock</cntemail>
  </cntinfo>
 </metc>
 <metstdn>FGDC Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata</metstdn>
 <metstdv>FGDC-STD-001-1998</metstdv>
</metainfo>

FGDC Manditory - Non-blank Elements

Validating Metadata

If your metadata follows the above guidelines and is in good order, it normally takes us only about 30 minutes to install each datasets on the WRD Node and to check that your hyperlinks are working. When we're done, existing metadata search engines that harvest the NODE will be able to read and index your metadata in their catalogs.

Do we change anything else in your metadata?

Nobody can say how metadata requirements will change in the future. However, by keeping our metadata in a well-defined, standard format, we remain in a good position to adapt the format as our needs change.

Embedding Metadata within Data Sets

If your dataset follows all the above guidelines, you can include it in export and other data distribution files. Be aware that, over time, the contact and distribution information probably will change. We can go back into your distribution files and metadata files to change embedded metadata! You can always send us updated distribution files.

Here is a reference document about xml data that may be useful https://www.esri.com/metadata/esriprof80.html

If you have metadata or data archiving questions please contact Michael Ierardi at mierardi@usgs.gov or (703) 648-5649.

    The Water Resources NSDI Node is an online centralized repository of digital metadata that conforms to the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) standards.