Overview - This system offers
an easy to use, low-cost method of creating and managing metadata.
The system only collects a subset of the Federal
Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) Metadata Content Standard.
This tool provides a quick way for organizations to start creating
data description within the framework of an accepted national
standard. Many organizations will find that this tool meets their
current business requirements for metadata. Others will want to
use more
fully featured and supported tools available from vendors
and other sources.
How: You can start using the system by simply creating (and remembering) your Account ID and Password. Note that these are 'case sensitive.' Also, please see 'things to consider.'
Things to consider: Give some thought to how your organization will make use of this tool. Data description are created, stored and managed by Account ID and Password. Account ID and Password control administrative access. So, if an organization wants all its data descriptions maintained in one logical grouping then they must be created using the same Account ID and Password.
Setting up and modifying a Profile
How: When you first create an account you will be asked to create a metadata profile for your organization. The information recorded in the profile is automatically appended to any data description that is accessed through the clearinghouse gateways. You can change the profile once created by selecting 'Update your Metadata Entry Profile' on the logon screen and supplying the appropriate Username and Password.
Things to consider: The data collected in the profile is meant to provide information about the person in your organization who is the contact person for questions about the metadata. This may or may not be the same person that serves as the contact for distribution of the data being described. Note that distribution contact(s) can be individually identified in each separate data description.
Creating Data
Descriptions (Metadata)
File Names - use file names to
uniquely identify your various data descriptions. This is the
same name you will use to retrieve descriptions for later editing.
Draft - use this function if you want to start creating a data description but don’t have all the information you need. By submitting a data description as a 'draft' you are requesting it be saved for future completion. This will make it available through the 'Update Metadata Entries' option but does not post the description to make it available through clearinghouse gateway queries. Use this as a temporary holding place for any description that you are not ready to post to the clearinghouse.
Post to Clearinghouse - use this function to post a data description to the clearinghouse and to make it available through the clearinghouse gateways. The clearinghouse database indexes are updated several times a day. Normally a newly posted data description is available through the clearinghouse gateways within a couple of hours of 'posting.'
Delete a description - select the 'Update Metadata Entries' option on the logon screen then select the appropriate file for deletion from your list of files. Then, while viewing the data description to ensure that it is the one you want to delete click on the 'delete' button at the top of the form. You will then be asked to verify that you intend to delete the description. A yes response deletes the description from your directories.
Creating a template- you can
create a template data description form for a series of data descriptions
that will contain similar information. Just create a 'draft' file
that you use as a starting point for all descriptions that share
the information on your template.
- Metadata created using MES,
- Metadata for contemporary on-going data collection project
- Full fledge description created using vendor tool (SMMS)
Updating or changing existing Data
Descriptions - select the 'Update Metadata Entries' option
on the logon screen then select the existing data description
you want to update. Make changes and then save as 'draft' or 'post
to clearinghouse'.
Providing Access to your
Data Descriptions
- Through FGDC Clearinghouse Gateway - use gateway query form (hint: search [all text] for the name entered as the metadata contact on your 'profile') The process of 'post to clearinghouse' makes your data description available for query through a gateway
- Directly via Internet - see Washington State Clearinghouse Contacts to find out how to set up local, direct access to your data descriptions.
- Through the Metadata Entry System - see Updating.
Printing descriptions - access
the data description of interest utilizing one of the above methods
(Providing Access) and use the 'print' function of your Internet
browser. If you access the data description utilizing method 1
or 2 the organizational metadata profile will be appended to the
data descriptions. If you access the data description using method
3, the profile will not appear with the data description.