Data

• Abstract: text
• Purpose: text
• Spatial Domain: {W,E} lon, {N,S} lat
• Network Resource: text

Metadata (FGDC)

• Abstract: data set narrative summary
• Purpose: why data set was developed
• Spatial Domain: geographic areal domain of data set
• Network Resource: data set URL

Structural

• organization
  • simple types
  • structured types
• packaging
  • formats

Source

• origin
  • person
  • organization
• lineage
  • processing history
• quality
  • precision
  • accuracy

Annotation

• abstracts
• references
• user feedback

Availability

• restrictions
  • proprietary
  • security
• access
  • handle
    • online: e.g. URL
    • offline: e.g. ISBN
  • point-of-contact

Control document reference

• format description
• compilation protocol
• accuracy standard

Point of contact

• name
• address

Date

• single
• multiple
• range

Geolocation

• lat, lon, datum
• x, y, {projection}

Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC)

• Geospatial Metadata, especially:
  • Geospatial Metadata Standards
  • Geospatial Metadata Tools
• FGDC Metadata Publications, especially:
  • Geospatial Metadata Factsheet [PDF]
  • Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata Workbook [PDF]
  • Geospatial Metadata Quick Guide [PDF]
• Standards publications: note the various "profiles" that extend the base content standard for specific application domains

NASA Global Change Master Directory (GCMD)

• Directory Interchange Format (DIF) Writer's Guide

Dublin Core Metadata Initiative

• Using Dublin Core
• Dublin Core Metadata Element Set
• Greg Janée's Dublin Core Explorer

"OPeNDAP: Acessing data in a heterogeneous environment" [PDF], sections 4 and 5 on kinds of metadata