Metadata and GI GatewayMetadata and GI Gateway

Severn Estuary PartnershipSevern Estuary PartnershipGIS ForumGIS Forum

Part 1 - Metadata

1. What is Metadata?

2. Why is metadata important

3. What are the benefits of collecting metadata

4. Practical uses of Metadata in EA Wales

Part 2 - GI Gateway and the SEP

1. What is GI Gateway

2. Where does Metagenie fit in?

3. How can SEP benefit from GI Gateway

4. Demonstration of Gigateway site and metagenie tools

What is Metadata ?What is Metadata ?

• Data about Data

• Metadata is one of those terms that is conveniently ignored or avoided

• Organisations have slowly started to look at issues of data management and metadata.

A good Metadata record enables the user of a dataset or information resource to understand the content they are reviewing, its potential and its limitations. Metadata is a summary of the characteristics of a set of data or other

information resource.

Why is Geographic Metadata Important?

• Emergence of geographic information systems (GIS)

• Geospatial data is digitised, complex and part of vast computer libraries

• GI datasets are:• visual (remote sensing, raster, vector, aerial photographs)• very specific and difficult to access by users/public• often not catalogued

What Will the Metadata tell me about the dataset?

•Description of the dataset?

• Where has it come from?

• When was it collected?

• How often is it updated?

• What scale was it collected at?

• What is the quality of the data?

• Are there any restrictions on the use of the data?

• Who can you contact for more information?

Examples of EA Wales’ Datasets that require metadata• Flood Defences• Flood Plains• Discharge points to watercourses• Regulated industry locations• Landfill sites

Benefits from using metadata:

• Helps organise and maintain an organisation's investment in data

• Provides information about an organisation's data holdings in catalogue form or to brokers, resellers and clearing houses

• Users can locate all available geospatial and associated data relevant to an area of interest

• Builds upon and extends the data management procedures of the geospatial community

• Promotes the availability of geospatial data beyond the traditional geospatial community

• Goes some way towards compliance with Government directives

• Cost efficiency: the principle of creating once and using many times

• Clearer understanding of IPR

• Fit for purpose datasets

Use of Metadata within ArcGIS

Use of Metadata within EA’s GIS Browser

Part 2 - GI Gateway and the SEP

1. What is GI Gateway

2. Where does Metagenie fit in?

3. How can SEP benefit from GI Gateway

4. Demonstration of GIgateway site and metagenie tools

•GIgateway is a web service aimed at increasing awareness of and access to geographical information in the UK.

•Not for profit service run by AGI (Association for Geographic Information)

•Gigateway’s mission is to update and add new metadata to ensure continued success.

•The more high quality metadata the service contains, the more useful GIgateway becomes as a source of geospatial information.

•It is possible to set up a ‘node’ for a particular sector or area of interest. Eg environment, transport, mapping, biodiversity, business, agriculture, planning, Severn Estuary Partnership

GIgateway

What is Discovery Metadata? GIgateway Discovery Metadata is the minimum amount of information that needs to be provided to convey to the inquirer the nature and content of the data resource. This falls into broad categories to answer the what, why, when, who, where and how questions about geospatial data.

• What - title and description of the dataset. • Why - abstract detailing reasons for the data collection. • When - when the dataset was created and the update

cycles if any. • Who - originator and data supplier.• Where - the geographical extent based on lat / long, co- ordinates, geographical names or administrative areas.• How - how to obtain more information or order the

datasets, formats, media access, constraints.

Metagenie

• MetaGenie is the new metadata creation tool from GIgateway. This software enables you to easily create geographic metadata compliant with the Gigateway Discovery Specifications

• MetaGenie allows you to create metadata in three different ways:

– By entering your data directly into the tool to create individual metadata records

– By automatically saving and exporting your metadata records from your own database, even if a database structure for these records is not present; or

– By creating and publishing your metadata records with MetaGenie Online.

Example

How can Severn Estuary Partnership benefit from GI Gateway

2.1. To facilitate information sharing and working partnerships between organisations that have data and expertise in different subjects, and

2.2 To aid the wider dissemination of information about estuary related GIS data and an information management strategy within members’ organisations.

• Set up a Severn Estuary Partnership ‘node’

• Each partner organization undertake to provide relevant metadata to Gigateway

• Result would be a searchable catalogue of GI enabled datasets

AGI Cymru

Geographical Information StrategyAction Plan for Wales

Demonstration of Gigateway site and metagenie tools