Tutorials on Data Management
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Value of Metadata
Tutorials on Data ManagementLesson 8: Value of Metadata
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Value of Metadata
• Illustrate the value of metadata to data users, data providers, and organizations
• Describe the utility of metadata for a variety of scenarios
Lesson Topics
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Value of Metadata
• After completing this lesson, the participant will be able to: o Identify 3 reasons metadata is of value to data users, data
developers, and organizationso List 3 uses for metadata, beyond discovery of data
Learning Objectives
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Value of Metadata
The Data Life CyclePlan
Collect
Assure
Describe
Preserve
Discover
Integrate
Analyze
Value of Metadata
Metadata Has Value to ALL
Data developers
Datausers
Organizations
Metadatahelps…
Value of Metadata
• Metadata allows data developers to:o Avoid data duplication o Share reliable informationo Publicize efforts – promote the work of a scientist and his/her contributions to a field of study
What is the Value to Data Developers?
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Value of Metadata
• Metadata gives a user the ability to:o Search, retrieve, and evaluate data set information from both inside
and outside an organizationo Find data: Determine what data exists for a geographic location
and/or topico Determine applicability: Decide if a data set meets a particular needo Discover how to acquire the dataset you identified; process and use
the dataset
What is the Value to Data Users?
Value of Metadata
• Metadata helps ensure an organization’s investment in data: o Documentation of data processing steps, quality control, definitions,
data uses, and restrictionso Ability to use data after initial intended purpose
• Transcends people and time: o Offers data permanenceo Creates institutional memory
• Advertises an organization’s research: o Creates possible new partnerships and collaborations through data
sharing
What is the value to Organizations?
Value of Metadata
Information EntropyD
ATA
DET
AIL
STime of data development
Specific details about problems with individual items or specific dates are lost relatively rapidly
General details about datasets are lost through time
Accident or technology change may make data unusable
Retirement or career change makes access to “mental storage” difficult or unlikely
Loss of data developer leads to loss of remaining information
TIME (From Michener et al 1997)
Value of Metadata
Information Entropy
TIME
DAT
A D
ETAI
LS
Sound information management, including metadata development, can arrest the loss of dataset detail.
Value of Metadata
• Metadata can support:o data distributiono data managemento project management
• If it is:o considered a component of the datao created during data developmento populated with rich content
A Closer Look: The Utility of Metadata
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Value of Metadata
Data Distribution via Metadata
metadata publication
dataportals
data discovery
Value of Metadata
• The descriptive content of the metadata file can be used to identify, assess, and access available data resources.
Distribution: Data Discovery
• online access• order process• contacts
ACCESS
• use constraints• access constraints• data quality• availability/pricing
ASSESS
• keywords• geographic location• time period• attributes
IDENTIFY
Value of Metadata
• A metadata collection can be published to the Internet via:owebsite catalogoweb accessible folder (waf)o Z39.50 metadata clearinghouseometadata serviceo geospatial data portal
Distribution: Metadata Publication
Internet
Metadata CollectionUser Query
Internet / Intranet
Dataset
Value of Metadata
• Examples of Federal and National Portals:oUSGS
• USGS Core Science Metadata Clearinghouse: http://mercury.ornl.gov/clearinghouse
oGeodata Portal• Federal e-gov geospatial data portalhttp://www.geo.data.gov
oArcGIS Online• ESRI sponsored national geospatial data portalhttp://www.geographynetwork.com
oGeoConnections Discovery Portal (Canada)http://www.geoconnections.org/en/index.html
Distribution: Geospatial Data Portals
Value of Metadata
USGS Core Science Metadata Clearinghouse
Value of Metadata
Data Management via Metadata
DataAccountability
Discovery
& Re-use
Maintenance
& Update
DataLiability
Value of Metadata
• Data Maintenance:o Are the data current?
• Do we have data older than ten years?• was before some political or geophysical event that resulted in significant
change?o Are the data valid?
• prior to most current source data• prior to most current methodologies
• Data Update:o Contact informationo Distribution policies, availability, pricing, URLso New derivations of the dataset
Management: Maintenance and Update
Value of Metadata
• Metadata marketing in the past…If you create metadata,
other people can discover your data
• New and improved message…If you create metadata,
you can find your own data
Management: Data Discovery & Reuse
Value of Metadata
• Find your data by:o themes / attributeso geographic locationo time rangeso analytical methods usedo sources and contributorso data quality
Discoverable data is usable data!
Management: Data Discovery & Reuse
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Value of Metadata
• Metadata is an exercise in data accountability. It requires you to assess:o What do you know about the dataset?o What don’t you know about the dataset?o What should you know about the dataset?
Are you willing to associate yourself with the metadata record ?
Management: Data Accountability
Value of Metadata
• Metadata allows you to repeat scientific process if:o methodologies are definedo variables are definedo analytical parameters are defined
• Metadata allows you to defend your scientific process:o demonstrate process o increasingly GIS-savvy public
requires metadata for consumer information
Management: Data Accountability
INPUT
RESULTS
Value of Metadata
• Metadata is a declaration of:Purposeo the originator’s intended application of
the dataUse Constraintso inappropriate applications of the dataCompletenesso features or geographies excluded from the dataDistribution Liabilityo explicit liability of the data producer and assumed liability
of the consumer
Management: Data Liability
What to do.What not to do…
Value of Metadata
Project Management via Metadata
Project Monitoring
Project Coordination
Project
Planning
Contract Deliverables
Value of Metadata
• Metadata records can serve as a project design document:odescriptions & intent of projecto geographic and temporal extent of projecto source data of projecto attribute requirements of project
• Benefits:o expectations are clearly outlinedometadata is integrated into the processoprovides a medium to record progress
Project Management: Project Planning
Value of Metadata
• Use metadata to monitor:o data development statuso QA/QC assessmentso needed changes in approach
Monitoring requires that the metadata be actively maintained and reviewed!
Project Management: Project Monitoring
timemilestones
Value of Metadata
• Metadata can be a means to improve communications among project participantso descriptions & parameterso keywords, vocabularies, thesaurio contact informationo attributeso distribution information
• If reviewed regularly by all participants, metadata created early and updated during the project improves opportunity for coordinating:o source datao analytical methodso new information
Project Management: Project Coordination
Value of Metadata
• As a key component of the data, metadata should be part of any data deliverable
• For quality metadata from a deliverable, the record should provide:
oCitation informationoData quailty informationoAccurate geospatial informationo Entities and attributes clearly defined oDistribution information
Project Management: Contract Deliverables
Value of Metadata
• Metadata is of critical importance to data developers, data users, and organizations
• Metadata can be effectively used for:odata distributionoData managementoProject management
• Metadata completes a dataset.
Creating robust metadata is in your OWN best interest!
Summary
Value of Metadata
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