Metadata
Metadata is “data about data” i.e. a description that gives technical, commercial and legal clarity to end users, custodians, data maintainers, value-adders and distributors. Comprehensive Metadata can reduce the workload of your Custodial Officer by reducing the number of queries he receives.
It can include
- Key words for online search
- Contact details
- Data model/diagrams
- Data dictionary
- Data features and relationships
- Projections and scale
- Positional accuracy
- Geographic extent
- Data currency
- Frequency of update
- Stored data format
- Access constraints
- Distribution method
The spatial data itself is not published in the directory. Metadata uses a standard format (based on ANZLIC standards). Tools are being developed to assist with the creation and update of Metadata. SII can also assist.
The Custodian completes only those sections that are relevant. If the Metadata has no data dictionary, this is stated.
The University of Wyoming Geographic Information Science Center has an excellent explanation and examples of metadata. The Australian standard for Metadata is on http://www.anzlic.org.au/
Product Description
Datasets for commercial distribution may have a more comprehensive package of general and administrative information called the Product Description with
- Metadata
- Pricing and licensing model
- Production and/or acquisition methods
- Future plans
- Linkages to other organisations/data sets.
- Marketing and associated documents for promotion and dissemination
- Standard licensing agreement
A series of Fact Sheets and FAQs have been developed.
Page last updated: 2010-06-19 14:32:49