Feature Metadata Recommendation to the GIS Technical Group October 10, 2000

FM subcommittee representatives: Maine Historic Preservation Commission-Liz Trautman, Maine Land Use Regulation Commission-Ellen Jackson, Maine Department of Transportation-Nancy Armentrout, Maine Office of Geographic Information Systems-Kate King

Maine GIS FEATURE METADATA RECOMMENDATION 2000

The Maine GIS Feature Metadata Recommendation was presented to the GIS Technical Group in October 2000, by the GIS Technical Group feature metadata subcommittee, and was submitted to the GIS Executive Council in December of the same year.

The use of FM items and codes in feature attribute tables is recommended, to provide accessible readable standardized notation that describes the quality and currentness of each geospatial feature’s location. Recommended FM items are FMSRC, FMSRCORG, FMPROCSS, FMUPDORG, FMUPDDAT with two optional items FMSRCDAT and FMNOTE. These items are recommended for use to record the following information about the location of a feature: the source used to identify the feature’s location, the source originator, the process used to incorporate the feature, also the organization of edit and date of edit if applicable. It is recommended that the items be populated with standardized and defined FM codes. FM codes for use in these items, like the items themselves, are designed to be unique references, as short, clear and self-explanatory as possible. All have been listed, standardized, and defined so that each represents a single defined information type and entity. For example, what is meant by the item FMSRC coded 24k, tigers90, gps, engplan, sketch, or roughsrvy, FMSRCORG coded usgs, medot, uscb, FMPROCSS coded closure, edgematch, or screendig is specific and defined. Codes are in text, all lower case and include no hyphens, punctuation or spaces. Codes for use in source originator and organization of edit are organizational acronyms that have been confirmed. Wherever possible federal agencies carry the “us” prefix and state agencies carry the postal prefix “me” for the state of origin, i.e. medot, medhs, megis. The FM subcommittee has defined this set of items and related codes with reference to elements in FGDC metadata. The FM recommendation is flexible and will function in most GIS environments independent of FGDC metadata or specific metadata tools; however, because coordination of feature attribute tables with FGDC metadata maximizes available information and minimizes attribute load, parallel or subsequent development of FGDC metadata, and use of cross references to same, is assumed and recommended.

FM ITEMS, DATA TYPES, DEFINITION, FGDC CROSS REFERENCES, DEPENDENCIES, SAMPLES

Item Name Data Type Definition FGDC Elements/Data Quality Section

FMSRC 12 12 C source Source Citation Abbreviation

FMSRCORG 12 12 C source originator Originator

FMPROCSS 12 12 C process Process Description

FMUPDORG 12 12 C organization of edit Process Contact

FMUPDDAT 8 10 D date of edit Process Date

Optional items:

FMSRCDAT 8 10 D date of source Publication Date

FMNOTE 25 25 C free text Other Citation Details, et. al.

Dependencies and MaineGIS coordination of FM metadata items and codes:

• Add recommended items, data types, and codes to arc and point feature attribute tables;
• NO feature metadata for polygon attribute tables, only for the arcs that form a polygons perimeter;
• Place after the last default items <filename>-id;
• Automate in the edit environment;
• Provide items and pick lists of codes (utilize Arc8.x pick list functions, geodatabase domains, etc.);
• Define the source, source originator, process, last editor, date of edit used in the LOCATION of feature;
• Provide an assessment of quality;
• Keep codes-lower case, no punctuation, no spaces;
• Use standardized lists of codes published in for Maine GIS by MEGIS;
• Use information on feature level metadata, standardized lists of codes published for Maine GIS users;
• Translate project codes, if other than FM, to standardized codes for finalized data, ready for distribution;
• Submit and define new codes to be standardized, added and published in maintained lists;
• Use listservers to inform, update, maintain and coordinate standardized lists of codes;
• FM items and codes can precede and facilitate development of full FGDC metadata;
• FM supports data and project management, recognition of proprietary issues and archiving.

FM Samples: #1 #2 #3 #4 #5

FMSRC 24k roughsrvy aerial doq xerox

FMSRCORG usgs mhpc lurc usgs megu

FMPROCSS autoislands dig dig edgematch adjust

FMUPDORG megis medot

FMUPDDAT editdate

FMOptional:

FMSRCDAT 10/01/2000 02/22/1994

FMNOTE e911aml photo# flydate revisit

Goals and tasks of the Feature Metadata Subcommittee:

Develop a coordinated, flexible process for encoding features with source information

-Identify existing efforts

-Examine role of Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) metadata

-Coordinate-describe, standardize items and define codes, publish, maintain, update

Make a recommendation to the GIS Technical Group

-Focus on feature location, use feature attribute tables (F.A.T.)

-Minimize load, use cross reference to full FGDC metadata to limit load on F.A.Ts

-Make it accessible, use English, readable unique codes, publish in a central location

-Maintain and update lists of codes and acronyms, use listservers to question, communicate and coordinate needed updates

Internet search, research, email contact result in these national and regional FM findings:

Doug Nebert, US Geological Survey

Rick Pearsall, Federal Geographic Data Committee

Lynn Bjorkland, US Geological Survey

Bruce Westcott, RTSe USA

Chris Cialek Minnesota Planning Land Management Information Center

Gene Vaatveit, ESRI

Carol Miller, Vermont Center for Geographic Information, Inc.

Fay Rubin, New Hampshire Complex Systems Research Center

Christian Jacqz, MassGIS

Jane Pfister, MassGIS

Peter Schweitzer, USGS Technical Contact (metadata)

NSDI listserver

FGDC discussion group

Available metadata tools

• metadata efforts at the national and regional levels , with the exception of the USGS Spatial Data Transfer Standard (SDTS), are focused on FGDC metadata at the coverage level;
• FGDC Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata (CSDGM) does not provide elements specifically for recording feature metadata;
• FGDC and International Standards Organization (ISO) harmonization project may result an international metadata standard that addresses feature level metadata;
• elements of the Data Quality section of FGDC metadata at the coverage level can be used to cross reference and augment information held in F.A.T. items and codes and maintained at the feature level;
• specifically FGDC elements useful to the FM are the Source Citation Abbreviation, Originator, Process Description, Process Contact, Process Date, Publication, Other Citation Details/Source Produced Citation Abbreviation;
• FGDC compliant metadata tools do not provide specifically for feature level metadata, but do provide an environment for standardized cross reference, links or relates between FGDC information at the coverage level and separately held feature records in F.A.T. records;
• the use of various commercial and free FGDC compliant metadata tools, for the purpose of recording FM metadata, is limited by standardized domains of the CSDGM and by the limitations of the tools themselves.

Phone and email survey of Maine GIS Technical Group find the following efforts in FM:

• current Maine GIS efforts in recording FM are focused on the use of items and codes in both internal and external feature attribute tables;
• item names, data types, codes, and intent vary across data holdings;
• a variety of single items are used
• codes, often undefined, represent a variety of purposes that include statements represented by numbers or abbreviations to indicate source, source originator, source media, scale, process, process contact, data quality.

For example:

SOURCE 1,3,8,25,98

ORIGIN 24k, paper

LINE mdot, centerline

TYPE coast, closure

PHOTO napp, sewall

UPDATE date, edgematch, funky

This feature metadata recommendation is published at http://megis.maine.gov/standards/ . Recommended FM items are defined and suggested standardized lists of codes, with definitions, are hyperlinked to each item in the recommendation. Your feedback is essential and appreciated.

· Questions can be directed to Kate King 624-9403.

· Please comment to dan.walters@maine.gov or kate.king@maine.gov .

Recommendation made to GIS Executive Council on December 11, 2000.