NRIMs - Metadata Policy

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NSW NATURAL RESOURCES METADATA POLICY

Introduction

The State's natural resources information holdings represent a considerable resource for government, the community and the private sector. They also represent a considerable investment on the part of the State. To ensure that this resource is used to its fullest potential and for the benefit of the people of New South Wales, it is vital that all potential users are aware of what information is available. The key to the availability of this information is metadata. Without metadata, effective data management and access are not possible.

The NSW Natural Resources Information Management Strategy (NRIMS) identifies data access as one of its key objectives. It identifies the collection, maintenance and supply of consistent datasets, in keeping with the National Metadata Directory System, as one of the key strategies. Through the formation of the NSW Metadata Working Group and the development of the NSW Natural Resources Metadata Policy, NRIMS recognises the importance of metadata in both maximising access to natural resources information in New South Wales and facilitating ready exchange and integration of data at regional, state and national level.

Metadata is data about data. It describes the content, quality, currency and availability of data. Metadata for natural resources information is required for a range of purposes.

Detailed information about data collection methods, integration and analysis techniques applied to source data is required to support the preparation of scientific reports.

Information about the accuracy of source datasets, processing history, and archival procedures is required to effectively manage and utilise data within custodian organisations.

Projection specifications, scale, exchange format, compression and file system format information should accompany data transfers to other organisations.

Adequate descriptions of the content, quality and geographic extent of datasets are required so potential users of existing data can assess its suitability for other purposes.

Information about access software for datasets as well as software parameters are needed for direct online display and query of data.

The purpose of this Metadata Policy is to define New South Wales metadata requirements, in keeping with national guidelines, so that:

potential users are aware of existing data and can assess its suitability for other purposes;
systems can provide online access to data where available;
metadata is available to accompany data transfers to other organisations; and
New South Wales natural resources metadata can be readily integrated into national and other relevant directory systems.

The consistent recording of metadata greatly increases the effective identification and use of existing data, and may prevent expensive re-collection. The New South Wales Natural Resources Data Directory provides greater access to data holdings and, because it is developed in a national context, provides ready access to metadata from the Commonwealth and other States.

Metadata Policy

1. All natural resources datasets collected and maintained by New South Wales agencies will have metadata.

2. Data custodians are responsible for creating and maintaining metadata for their datasets.

3. Metadata records will conform to the current Australia New Zealand Land Information Council (ANZLIC) standard (see Appendix 1) with the addition of any extensions agreed at State level.

4. Extensions agreed at State level should be selected from the elements of ISO Standard 15046-15: Geographic Information - Part 15: Metadata (draft) wherever possible.

5. Metadata records will be made available by data custodians for inclusion in State and national directories in the specified ANZLIC transfer format(s).

6. Metadata records will be made available through national and State directories at no cost to users.

7. Metadata records will form part of each data supply.

8. To ensure that data recipients are able to use supplied data most effectively, all transfers of digital spatial data should be accompanied by the additional metadata elements identified in the quality assurance checklist at Appendix 2.

Implementation Guidelines

These guidelines have been developed to assist in the implementation of the NSW Natural Resources Metadata Policy and are in keeping with ANZLIC's key objective to establish an Australian Spatial Data Infrastructure (ASDI) and with the terms of reference of the NSW Metadata Working Group, specifically:

To develop an infrastructure in NSW to collect, maintain and supply consistent metadata for all datasets, consistent with the National Metadata Directory System.

The Department of Land and Water Conservation (DLWC) will host the State metadata directory Website. The directory will retain the name of New South Wales Natural Resources Data Directory (NRDD).
The Internet-based State site will provide the New South Wales node for the Australian Spatial Data Directory (ASDD) and will provide links to other natural resource sites as well as access to a variety of spatial and textual natural resource data.
Each NSW natural resource agency is responsible for providing new and updated metadata records to the State site as soon as possible after creation of a dataset and in accordance with the ANZLIC Metadata Guidelines.
To facilitate this process, online updating of the directory will be available to data custodians via the State Web site.
Agencies will work towards creating an agency site which contains digital metadata records which are constantly maintained and capable of access by internal and external users through State and national directory systems.
The ultimate objective within New South Wales is to implement a fully distributed directory system based on standard Internet protocols with all metadata records being created and maintained within the custodian's repository. This means that individual natural resource agencies would create and manage their own individual nodes to the State directory site and to the ASDD.
Upon request, the DLWC will make the ANZLIC Metadata Entry Tool (MET) available to both public and private sector organisations for their internal purposes of metadata collection and management.
Availability of the MET promotes the ASDD and State directory initiatives and provides a basic tool for people to commence metadata management within their organisations.
In the short term, and to encourage the creation and maintenance of natural resources metadata records by all State and Local Government agencies, the DLWC will continue to accept metadata records in Microsoft Access format and will undertake the necessary conversion processes for integration into the Natural Resources Data Directory.
These data custodians are responsible for forwarding regular updates, at least annually, to the DLWC for inclusion in the State directory.
The DLWC will provide a copy of the New South Wales Natural Resources Metadata Policy to all agencies requesting the MET tool.
The NSW Metadata Coordinator will maintain records of metadata extension schemas additional to those agreed at State level. Where agencies or groups of agencies intend to record additional metadata elements, they should:

Where possible, use relevant metadata elements from ISO Standard 15046-15 (draft).
Where relevant, use existing industry or theme metadata elements, for example, elements already identified for coastal, marine, wetlands datasets etc.
Advise the NSW Metadata Coordinator of new metadata extension schemas so that consistency can be maintained at the State level.

Appendix 1: ANZLIC Core Metadata Elements

Category	Element	Comment

Dataset	Title	The ordinary name of the dataset.
	Custodian	The organisation responsible for the dataset.
	Jurisdiction	The state or country of the custodian.

Description	Abstract	A short description of the contents of the dataset.
	Search Word(s)	Words likely to be used by a non expert to look for the dataset.
	Geographic Extent Name(s) OR	A picklist of pre-defined geographic extents such as map sheets, local government areas, catchments, that reasonably indicate the spatial coverage of the dataset.
	Geographic Extent Polygon(s)	An alternate way of describing geographic extent if no pre-defined area is satisfactory.

Data Currency	Beginning Date	Earliest date of data in the dataset.
	Ending Date	Last date of information in the dataset.

Dataset Status	Progress	The status of the process of creation of the dataset.
	Maintenance and Update Frequency	Frequency of changes or additions made to the dataset.

Access	Stored Data Format	The format or formats in which the dataset is stored by the custodian.
	Available Format Type	The formats in which the dataset is available showing, at least, whether the dataset is available in digital or nondigital form.
	Access Constraint	Any restrictions or legal prerequisites applying to the use of the dataset, eg licence, copyright and liability statements.

Data Quality	Lineage	A brief history of the source and processing steps used to produce the dataset.
	Positional Accuracy	A brief assessment of the closeness of the location of spatial objects in the dataset in relation to their true position on the Earth.
	Attribute Accuracy	A brief assessment of the reliability assigned to features in the dataset in relation to their real world values.
	Logical Consistency	A brief assessment of the logical relationships between items in the dataset.
	Completeness	A brief assessment of the completeness of coverage, classification and verification.

Contact Information	Contact Organisation	Ordinary name of the organisation from which the dataset may be obtained.
	Contact Position	The relevant position in the Contact Organisation.
	Mail Address 1	Postal address of the Contact Position.
	Mail Address 2	Aust and NZ: Optional extension of Mail Address 1.
	Suburb or Place or Locality	Suburb of the Mail Address.
	State or Locality 2	Aust: State of Mail Address. NZ: Optional extension for Locality.
	Country	Country of the Mail Address.
	Postcode	Aust: Postcode of the Mail Address. NZ: Optional postcode for mail sorting.
		Telephone of the Contact Position.
		Facsimile of the Contact Position.
		Electronic Mail Address of the Contact Position.

Metadata Date		Date that the metadata record for the dataset was created.

Additional Metadata		Reference to other directories or systems containing further information about the dataset.

Appendix 2: Metadata Elements Required for Data Transfer

In addition to the ANZLIC Core Metadata Elements, the following metadata elements are the minimum required to accompany transfers of spatial data so that recipients can use the data effectively.

Category	Applicable to	Element name	Description and examples	Matching ISO element(s)	ISO element ID

Accuracy	Vector data	Positional accuracy	Positional accuracy of coordinates ('fuzzy tolerance'). The minimum distance between locations (points, vertices, nodes) in the dataset.	Data quality value domain	20.01.04.03.01.02.01

				Data quality result. Data quality report type 9: position accuracy/relative or internal accuracy	20.01.04.03.01.02.02

Topological consistency	Vector data with topological inconsistencies	Topological consistency report	Explain the occurrence of any duplicate points, lines or polygon boundaries. For polygon data, explain the occurrence of any dangling arcs (unclosed polygons), polygons without label points, or polygons with multiple label points.	Qualitative narrative report. Data quality report type 6: logical consistency/topological consistency	20.01.04.02.01

Raster spatial representation information	Raster data	Cell or pixel size	Size of cell or pixel on the ground.	Raster object ground spacing	40.03.13-18

	Raster data	Origin of pixels	Location of upper left corner of upper left pixel.	Origin of pixels	40.03.02

Projection	All data	Map projection	Lambert Conformal Conic, AMG, Geographic (unprojected).	Map projection identifier code	50.02.03.02.09.04

	Projected data	Projection parameters	For Lambert: 2 standard parallels, central meridian and latitude of projectionâs origin. For AMG: zone, false easting & northing.	Coordinate system remarks	50.02.03.02.09.06.06

				Coordinate system unit size	50.02.03.02.09.06.05

	All data	Datum		Datum	50.02.03.02.08.01

Attributes	Attributed data	Feature attribute definition	Explanation of attribute names if not self-explanatory.	Feature attribute name	60.02.07.09.01

				Feature attribute definition	60.02.07.09.01

	Attributed data	Feature attribute definition	Explanation of attribute values, either as documentation or lookup tables. Describe units and/or codes used. Include value used for void polygons (holes in polygon features) if present. For raster data, explain the pixel values used, including the value used for pixels outside the study area ('no data' value). If some feature or cell/pixel attributes values are null (zero or blank), explain why.	Qualitative narrative report. Data quality report type 2: completeness/ omission	20.01.04.02.01

				Raster object code description	40.03.11

				Feature attribute value measurement unit	60.02.07.09.05

				Feature attribute value definition	60.02.07.09.08.03

Distribution format	All data	Distribution format	Include relevant version or format option details. Include application-level format details, as well as any compression or archiving format used. Eg "DXF version 10 ASCII in a gzipped unix tar file"	Distribution format name	70.01.06.01

				Distribution file decompression technique	70.01.06.03
				Distribution format version number	70.01.06.05

				Distribution format specification	70.01.06.08

	All data	File listing	Names, sizes and descriptions of supplied files.	Only: Distribution transfer size	70.01.06.04

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