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Gulf Breeze 1

June 11, 2003

Gulf Breeze June2003 Pres.ppt | 09Jun03 |

What Is Metadata?

The Who, What, Where, When, Why, etc… The short, informative form of documentation used to

evaluate the usefulness of data

Metadata describe the content, quality, condition, and other characteristics of data

Metadata is data about data…

like the information contained in a library’s card catalog


Why Is Metadata Important?

To provide information to process and interpret data received from an external source

Lack of knowledge about other organizations' data can lead to duplication of effort

A small amount of time invested at the beginning of a project may save money in the future

Metadata standards will increase the value of such data by facilitating data sharing through time and space


“20-Year Rule”

“Will someone 20 years from now, not familiar with the data or how they were obtained, be able to find data sets of interest and then fully understand and use the data solely with the aid of the documentation archived with the data set?”

Committee on Geophysical Data, National Research Council, Solving the Global Change Puzzle, National Academy Press, 1991.

NOTE: Improperly documented information is of sharply limited value, regardless of the probable high quality of the original research effort.

Metadata


Metadata Types

Metadata can be divided into 3 types: Descriptive – Describes the information object, it’s

contents, context, etc. Examples include: object identifier, title, author, language, keywords, abstract, etc.

Administrative – Statistics about the technical creation and maintenance of the information object: availability (who has access), file format, file compression status, review status, accessibility (date made active / retired), etc.

Structural – Information about associations within or among information objects: related information objects (parent/child, subject matter), table of contents, index, etc.


Metadata Standards CSDGM – Content Standard for Digital Geospatial

Metadata (FGDC-STD-001-1998): Provides a common set of terminology and definitions for the documentation of digital geospatial data and establishes the following: 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 The following extensions of CDSGM increate the utility of the standard: Biological Data Profile (FGDC-STD-001.1-1999) Metadata Profile for Shoreline Data (FGDC-STD-001.2-2001) Remote Sensing Metadata (FGDC-STD-012-2002)


FGDC

The Federal Geographic Data Committee is a 19 member interagency committee, organized in 1990 under OMB (Office of Management and Budget) Circular A-16 that promotes the coordinated use, sharing, and dissemination of geospatial data on a national basis. It is composed of representatives from the Executive Office of the President, Cabinet-level, and independent agencies.

The FGDC is developing the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) – in cooperation with organizations from State, local and tribal governments, the academic community, and the private sector – to develop policies, standards, and procedures for organizations to cooperatively produce and share geographic data.


Z39.50 – ISO and ANSI/NISO Standard

Z39.50 Search, Present, Browse, Resource, and Access Facilities control which fields are searchable which styles of searching (e.g. free-text, proximity) will be used what kinds of records are returned how to

browse summary information control various accounting issues control access

"Z39.50" refers to the International Standard, ISO 23950: "Information Retrieval (Z39.50): Application Service Definition and Protocol Specification", and to ANSI/NISO Z39.50. It is a standard that specifies a client/server-based protocol for searching and retrieving information from remote databases. It is currently implemented for searches over TCP/IP.


GIS Standards

GIS (Geographic Information System): GIS data and metadata are currently managed redundantly with duplicate repositories and uncoordinated development of software and administrative support. The EIMS team has proposed hardware and software options for coordinating and consolidating GIS data over the next 7 to 20 years (ORD GIS Data Mgmt v1.0.pdf): EIMS/ESRI Integration Compusult MetaManager Update with EIMS Search Integration WME Takeover of GIS Searching and Display Decentralized ESRI and Search of Metadata


GIS Vision

All of the proposed GIS options share the following characteristics:

Involve Common Of-the-Shelf (COTS) software

Allow for CDGSM file input (plain files)

Enable standard EIMS searches

Facilitate the potential integration of search functionality for consolidated GIS metadata


VISION: Geospatial One-Stop

Geospatial One-Stop will use the existing nodes for NSDI

EIMS with Z39.50 server will require no changes to comply with Geospatial One-Stop


EIMS (Meta)Data Standards

Use of Environmental Data Registry (EDR) and National Technical Information Service (NTIS) among other sources to constrain reference tables

Z39.50 access to Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) materials

Z39.50 complies with Section 508 compliance

Production of EXtensible Markup Language (XML) output

Proposed utilization of Ecological Metadata Language (EML)

Proposed coordination of (Geographic Information System) GIS data sets

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EIMS Overview

Metadata (data about data)

Information Objects: Data SetsDatabasesDocumentsMeetingsModelsMultimediaProjectsSpatial DataWeb Sites


What is EIMS A system to capture, store, manage, and distribute information

about environmental resources collected, developed, and used by the Agency and its regional and state partners

A system that facilitates environmental assessment activities by providing metadata and access information for the information objects it describes

The EPA Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) node with a working Z39.50 server which enables it to serve valid FGDC records

A relational database that can enforce data integrity (e.g., ensuring that data entered for fields is of the appropriate type/format, preventing the deletion of data that would cause broken relationships)

Metadata in EIMS enable people to find and understand environmental resources


What does EIMS do? Provide a managed directory of environmental data (Information Objects) housed

within the EPA LAN Cross-Silo (can search for records throughout the EPA, from multiple divisions and

groups) Multiple Information Types (Data Sets, Databases, Documents, Meetings, Models,

Multimedia, Projects, Spatial Data, Web Sites) Provide controlled access (registration of roles and enforcement of permissions) Provide system management including support and back-ups for data stored

directly within EIMS Enable partners to build the inventory using interactive web forms Employ web technology for search and retrieval of descriptive information

(metadata) about environmental Information Objects Potential enhancement to EIMS would enable search and retrieval of the data using

EML (for Data Sets, Databases, some Documents, and Spatial Data) Offer controlled Information Object access via web link, file download, and/or

instructions for obtaining access via external system Accept feeds from other systems (e.g., TIMS, SI)

Potential enhancement to EIMS would enable pushing feeds to external systems


EIMS Archival Functionality

Metadata Archival – EIMS primarily serves as a metadata repository, housing metadata about information objects (including links to the actual information object and/or instructions for accessing it)

Information Object (Data) Archival – Since EIMS allows users to upload files directly into its database (as large objects – BLOBs or CLOBs), users can store the information object files within EIMS Potential for storing data (which has been uploaded as EML) so that

users can upload reports from EIMS into their own tools for multi-source searching and handling

Potential for storing data translated into EML and browsed/searched via EaGLe portal


Data Archival per Information Type

Information Type Current Proposed

Data Sets BLOB BLOB, EML

Databases BLOB BLOB with EML

Documents BLOB BLOB/CLOB, EML

Meetings NA NA

Models BLOB BLOB

Multimedia BLOB BLOB

Projects NA NA

Spatial Data BLOB BLOB, EML

Web Sites Link Link


Customized Metadata for Information Types

EIMS provides customized sets of metadata elements based upon the Information Type of the Information Object (data): Data Sets

Databases

Documents

Meetings

Models

Multimedia

Projects

Spatial Data Sets

Web Sites


EIMS Data Standards

EIMS is a relational database, thus, has constraints on data entry / updates that would impair data integrity

Interchange standards Output in XML

Input in CSDGM, XML, and HTML compliant format Accept bulk loads from relational data stores

Interactive web-based input

Protocols Standard procedures for data input and output

User registration (access control)

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EIMS Users

Agency Staff

State and Regional Stakeholders

Other Federal Agencies

The public


EIMS Security Access Control

Access to EIMS contents controlled according to assigned security and privileges (so not everyone can see everything)

Access controls exist for metadata records and for the information objects described by them EIMS provides access controls to only those information objects uploaded

into the EIMS system; the system cannot enforce access controls for information objects housed elsewhere within the Agency LAN

Partners determine what is distributed and to whom, consistent with Agency and Office policy

System Back-up Off-site backup of data by National Technology Services Division

(NTSD) NTSD database administration and server maintenance


Who can search for EIMS records?

Anyone with access to the internet can search for records in EIMS Records requiring confidentiality can be restricted to a

subset of users EPA Only – accessible to only EPA registered users

Group – accessible to only a specifically defined group of system users

Owner – accessible only by the designated owner of the EIMS record


How do you search for a record in EIMS?

Via the EIMS web-based application Simple Search

Advanced Search

Via proposed EaGLe Portal Browse records based upon content groupings

Search


Search Via EIMS Application – Simple

Enter desired criteria and select the Search button


Search Via EIMS Application – Advanced

Enter desired criteria and select the Search button

NOTE: The Advanced Search allows you to search by Entry ID – if you chose to do so, no other selection criteria are necessary


How do you view a record in EIMS?

Select desired record from search results to view the EIMS Metadata Report


EIMS Metadata Report

Report section header

Links to each heading in report


Who Should Create Metadata?

The Bench Scientists who are the owners of the data (Information Object) should create the metadata entry in EIMS Stewardship of the metadata records by the source of the

information

Need to know the scientific information in order to properly document it


How do you add a record to EIMS?

Login to the database

Select the Create Directory Entry menu option

Populate the Metadata Entry Main Page

Populate as many of the other components as desired The ORD encourages you to enter complete metadata to

facilitate effective re-use of the actual Information Object

NOTE: The record will not be available to the specified user base until a Metadata Librarian has reviewed and released it


Login to the database

NOTE: EPA-Registered users will use their TSSMS ID and EIMS-specific password

Login as EPA-Registered or Self-Registered


Select the Create Directory Entry option

NOTE: EIMS will display customized menu options based upon the application privileges of the user


Populate the Metadata Entry Main Page


Populate the other metadata components

Document Details

Acronyms

Citations

Contacts

Data Elements

References

Quality Assurance

Project Tracking

Project Attributes

Objectives

Downloads / URL LinksTime FrameMethods

GPRAKeywords Geographic Area

Related Entries Access PolicyAdministrative Details


When is the metadata record released to the specified user base?

DEPsets Metadata Status

to “Pending”

Record reviewed per EPA Partner’s

Business Process

Metadata Librariansets Metadata Status

to “Reviewed”


EaGLe Prototype

Browse Metadata and Data Use predefined groupings to browse entries

Search Metadata and Data Use web form to enter selection criteria and search for matching

records

View Metadata and Data Select metadata report and/or actual data from search results

Enter Metadata and Data Use web form(s) to enter metadata and data into EIMS (bulk loading

also available)

Release Metadata and Data Use web form to indicate that the entry should be made available to

the designation user base


Continued

Browse Via Proposed EaGLe Portal

Links to pages for specified research program



Continued

Browse Via Proposed EaGLe Portal (continued)



Browse Via Proposed EaGLe Portal (continued)

Links to specified content in EIMS



Continued

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gulf breeze 1

Documents

organizations data

data sharing

geophysical data

data elementsthe

data sets

names of data elements

shoreline data fgdcstd

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