GCE Metadata Reference
GCE Non-geospatial Metadata Content Standard
The design and organization of the GCE metadata standard for non-geospatial data sets is based on guidelines in the following publications:
Gross, Katherine L. and Catherine E. Pake. 1995. Final report of the Ecological Society of America Committee on the Future of Long-term Ecological Data (FLED). Volume I: Text of the Report. The Ecological Society of America, Washington, D.C.
Michener, William K. 2000. Metadata. Pages 92-116 in: Ecological Data - Design, Management and Processing. Michener, William K. and James W. Brunt, eds. Blackwell Science Ltd., Oxford, England.
Details of the content standard are listed below. For readability, the standard is presented in the numbered outline style used by Michener, 2000. Metadata fields are actually generated from the database as a series of 'CategoryName_FieldName' labels and field values (i.e. as name-value pairs), which are parsed to display metadata in a wide variety of formats using custom software and style templates.
Note: Metadata for all GCE-LTER data sets is also available in Ecological Metadata Language (EML) XML format to support LTER, KNB, SEEK and NBII catalogs.
I. Data Set Descriptors
| A. | Dataset_Title | Title describing the the data set |
| B. | Dataset_Accession | Code used to uniquely identify the data set in the GCE Information System |
| C. 1. | Dataset_Investigator | Name and contact information for the principle investigator responsible for the data set |
| C. 2. | Dataset_Abstract | Abstract describing the research study and summarizing key findings |
| C. 3. | Dataset_StudyType | Type of study represented by the data set (i.e. 'monitoring', 'directed study', or 'other study') |
| C. 4. | Dataset_Themes | Research themes describing the data set |
| C. 5. | Dataset_LTERCore | LTER core research areas represented by the data set |
| C. 6. | Dataset_Georeferences | Nature of any georeference information present in the data set |
| C. 7. | Dataset_SubmitDate | Date the data set was submitted to the GCE Data Manager |
| D. | Dataset_Keywords | List of key words describing the study for search purposes |
II. Research Origin Descriptors
A. Overall Project Description
| 1. | Project_Name | Name of the overall project |
| 2. | Project_Leaders | Names and contact information for the lead investigators of the project |
| 3. | Project_StartDate | Starting date of the project |
| 3. | Project_EndDate | Ending date of the project (or current funding cycle) |
| 4. | Project_Objectives | Stated research objectives of the project |
| 5. | Project_Abstract | Proposal abstract describing the project |
| 6. | Project_Funding | Funding agency and grant number for the overall project |
B. 1. Site Description
| a. | Site_Location | Textual description of the location of each study site referenced by the data set |
| a. | Site_Coordinates | Geographic coordinates of each study site referenced by the data set (i.e. as central points or bounding boxes) |
| b. | Site_Physiography | Physiographic province (i.e. ecoregion) of each referenced study site |
| c. | Site_Landform | Land form components of each referenced study site (e.g. flood plain, stream terrace, back dune, beach) |
| d. | Site_Hydrography | Hydrographic description of each referenced study site |
| e. | Site_Topography | Topographic description of each referenced study site |
| f. | Site_Geology | Geological description of each referenced study site |
| g. | Site_Vegetation | Dominant vegetation communities at each referenced study site |
| h. | Site_History | Research or disturbance history of each referenced study site |
| i. | Site_Climatology | Summaries of climatic characteristics of each referenced study site |
B. 2. Experimental or Sampling Design
| a. | Study_Description | Description of the overall design of the study, including hypotheses and statistical design |
| b. | Study_Plots | Description of any permanent plots used in the study (including dimensions and characteristics) |
| c. | Study_Sampling | Description of the sampling design used in the research |
| Study_BeginDate | Beginning date of the research or observations | |
| Study_EndDate | Ending date of the research or observations |
B. 3. Research Methods
| a. | Study_Methods | Description of the field, laboratory and statistical methods used in the study, including references |
| b. | Study_Protocol | Information about published protocols followed in method steps |
| c. | Study_Instrumentation | Makes and models of instruments used in the research |
| d. | Study_Taxonomy | References to any taxonomic keys or voucher specimens used in the study |
| e. | Study_Permits | References to any collecting or access permits relevant to the study |
B. 4. Personnel
| a. | Study_Personnel | All personnel associated with the study (PI and others) |
| b. | Study_Affiliations | Institutional affiliations of all personnel associated with the study |
III. Data Set Status and Accessibility
A. Status
| 1. | Status_DataUpdate | Date of last data set update |
| 2. | Status_ArchivalDate | Date of last data set archival |
| 3. | Status_MetadataUpdate | Date of last metadata update |
| 4. | Status_Verification | Status of data set verification by the GCE-LTER data manager |
B. Accessibility
| 1. | Status_Location | Physical or network location of the data set files |
| 1. | Status_Medium | Primary medium used to distribute the data set |
| 2. | Status_Contact | Contact information to use when requesting the data set |
| 3. | Status_Copyright | Copyright restrictions prohibiting use of all or portions of the data |
| 4. | Status_Restrictions | Proprietary or copyright restrictions pertaining to the data set |
| 4. a. | Status_ProjectRelease | Date when the data set will be available to GCE-LTER participants |
| 4. a. | Status_PublicRelease | Date when the data set will be available to the general scientific community |
| 4. b. | Status_Citation | Citation to be used when citing the data |
| 4. c. | Status_Disclaimer | Data use or quality disclaimer |
| 5. | Status_Cost | Description of any costs associated with obtaining the data set |
IV. Data Structural Descriptors
A. Data Set File (tabular & non-tabular data sets)
| 1. | Data_FileName | Filename used to store the data set in the GCE-IS |
| 2. | Data_Size | Number of observations (i.e. rows, records) in the data set |
| 3. | Data_FileFormat | Format used to store the data set file (e.g. binary, ASCII) |
| 3. | Data_Delimiters | Type of delimiters used to separate columns (ASCII only) |
| 4. | Data_Header | Description of file header (if present) |
| 5. | Data_Alphanumeric | Characteristics of alphanumeric characters (upper, lower, or mixed case) |
| 6. | Data_Codes | Definition of special codes used in the file or file header (exclusive of coded values) |
| 7. | Data_Authentication | Description of procedures used to authenticate the quality of the data |
| 8. | Data_Calculations | Equations used to generate values in calculated columns |
| 9. | Data_ProcessHistory | History of any data set processing performed after initial data submission (e.g. automated quality control procedures, structural rearrangement, subsampling, addition of calculated attributes) |
B. Variable Information (tabular data sets)
| 1. | Data_Names | Name of each column (1 nested entry per column) |
| 2. | Data_Descriptions | Description of each column (1 nested entry per column) |
| 3. | Data_Units | Units for each column (1 nested entry per column) |
| 4. a. | Data_DataTypes | Physical data type of each column (i.e. floating-point number, integer, string; 1 nested entry per column) |
| 4. b. | Data_ValueCodes | Codes or numbers used to represent specific values in coded, nominal, or logical columns |
| 4. c. | Data_ValueRange | Minimum and maximum values for each numeric column (1 nested entry per column) |
| 4. d. | Data_MissingValues | Codes used to represent missing observations |
| 5. a. | Data_Columntype | Type of column (fixed or variable width) |
| 5. b. | Data_Fields | Number of columns (i.e. fields, variables) in the data set |
| 5. c. | Data_Precisions | Maximum number of decimal places to use for displaying each column (1 nested entry per column) |
| 6. | Data_VariableTypes | Logical variable type represented by each column (e.g. data, calculation, nominal, datetime, logical, description, code; 1 nested entry per column) |
| 7. | Data_FlagCriteria | Criteria used to assign quality-control flags for each column (1 nested entry per column) |
C. Data Set Anomalies (tabular & non-tabular data sets)
| Data_Anomalies | Description of any anomalies noted in the data prior to submission |
V. Supplemental Descriptors
| A. 1. | Supplement_DataForms | Description of any data entry forms used in the study |
| A. 2. | Supplement_FormsLocation | Location of any data entry forms or other physical data records |
| A. 3. | Supplement_Validation | Procedures used to validate data during or after digitization |
| B. | Supplement_QAQC | Description of quality control and quality assurance procedures used to validate the data, including methods used to identify outliers |
| C. | Supplement_Materials | Description and storage location of any physical samples or other materials derived from sample analysis |
| D. | Supplement_Software | Vendor, name and version of any software used to process or analyze the data |
| E. | Supplement_Archival | Description of archival practices |
| F. | Supplement_PublicationHistory | Publications referencing the data set |
| G. 1. | Supplement_UsageHistory | History of user requests for the data set |
| G. 2. | Supplement_UpdateHistory | History of updates to the data set |
| G. 3. | Supplement_ReviewerNotes | Notes added by data set reviewers |
| G. 4. | Supplement_UserNotes | Notes or comments submitted by end users of the data set |
Data Documentation |
