GBIF Metadata Profile:
How-To Guide
Version 1.0April 2011

This document is a how-to guide for creating a metadata document that conforms to the
GBIF Metadata Profile.

Suggested citation: GBIF (2011). GBIF Metadata Profile – How-to Guide, (contributed by Ó
Tuama, Eamonn, Braak, K. Remsen, D.), Copenhagen: Global Biodiversity Information
Facility, 11 pp, accessible online at http://links.gbif.org/gbif_metadata_profile_howto_en_v1

Persistent URI: http://links.gbif.org/gbif_metadata_profile_how-to_en_v1
ISBN: 87-92020-24-0
Language: English
Copyright © Global Biodiversity Information Facility, 2010

License:This document is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unsupported License

Document Control:
VersionDescription

Date of release

Author(s)1.0Checked consistencies across relevant documents, updated

1 Mar 2011

Kyle Braak,links to production sites, updated text and pictures to reflect

Burke Chih-Jen

current functionalities.

Ko, Melianie
RaymondCover Art Credit: John Giez (http://www.flickr.com/photos/johngiez-/4453912650/)
Maidenhair fern sporophyte, (Adiatum sp.)This document is also part of the 'GBIF Data Publishing Manual version 1.0, ISBN 87-9202031-3, available at http://links.gbif.org/data_publishing_manual.

April 2011ii

About GBIFThe Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) was established as a global megascience initiative to address one of the great challenges of the 21st century – harnessing
knowledge of the Earth’s biological diversity. GBIF envisions ‘a world in which biodiversity
information is freely and universally available for science, society, and a sustainable
future’. GBIF’s mission is to be the foremost global resource for biodiversity information,and engender smart solutions for environmental and human well-being1. To achieve thismission, GBIF encourages a wide variety of data publishers across the globe to discoverand publish data through its network.

1

GBIF (2011). GBIF Strategic Plan 2012-16: Seizing the future. Copenhagen: Global Biodiversity Information

Facility. 7pp. ISBN: 87-92020-18-6. Accessible at http://links.gbif.org/sp2012_2016.pdf
April 2011iii

Table of Contents

About GBIF	  .....................................................................................................................................................	  iii	  Introduction	  ....................................................................................................................................................	  1	  Metadata Authoring: What to Use?	  ........................................................................................................	  2	  Integrated Publishing Toolkit (IPT)	  .......................................................................................................................	  2	  GBIF Darwin Core Spreadsheet Templates	  .......................................................................................................	  4	  Modify an Existing Sample Document	  ..................................................................................................................	  7	  Appendix	  ..........................................................................................................................................................	  8	  Required	  Elements	  ..............................................................................................................................................................	  8	  Best practices guide to debugging/validating XML	  ......................................................................................	  9	  List of Figures
Figure No.

Caption of the Figure

Page

1

Figure 1 - Screenshot of a help dialog for the term “Study Area

6Description”
2

Figure 2 - Screenshot of the field validation message displayed when an

6email field is submitted with an irregular email address.
3Figure 3 - Screenshot of the Published Release section of the Manage

7

Resource page of the IPT
4

Figure 4 - Screenshot of part of the Basic Metadata section of the Dataset

7

Description page in Spreadsheet mode
5

Figure 5 - Screenshot of part of the People and Organisations section of

8

the Dataset Description page showing the hover-over help in Spreadsheet
mode

April 2011iv

Introduction
Documenting the provenance and scope of datasets is required in order to publish data
through the GBIF network. Dataset documentation is referred to as ‘resource metadata’that enable users to evaluate the fitness-for-use of a dataset.
There are various ways to write a metadata document conforming to the GBIF Metadata
Profile (GMP). This How-To Guide will go through the most common ways, such as using
the GBIF Integrated Publishing Toolkit (IPT)2 metadata editor, the GBIF Darwin Core
Spreadsheet templates metadata forms3, or simply taking a sample metadata document
and replacing fields of relevance with the source data. The guide extends the Reference
Guide to the GBIF Metadata Profile4.
If metadata describing a dataset are also being published using Darwin Core Archives(DwC-A), the metadata file will be included in the DwC-A file that bundles it together withthe data (based on the Darwin Core terms) that it describes. For help with making thecomplete DwC-A, refer to the Darwin Core Archive: How-To Guide.5
Once the metadata document has been written and validated, it is ready to be published.
For help publishing metadata, users can refer to the Publishing and Registering Data with
GBIF6
Ultimately, the goal in publishing the metadata is that the data resource described thereincan be fully documented and registered in the GBIF Registry. In so doing, the data
resource becomes globally discoverable.

3

http://tools.gbif.org/spreadsheet-processor/

4

http://gbif_metadata_profile_guide_en_v1

5

http://links.gbif.org/gbif_dwc-a_how_to_guide_en_v1

6

http://links.gbif.org/dwc-a_publishing_guide_en_v1

April 20111

Metadata Authoring: What to Use?
If occurrence data or taxonomic (checklist) data are being published using the GBIF
Integrated Publishing Toolkit (IPT)7 or the GBIF Darwin Core Spreadsheet Templates8,
there is a built-in metadata authoring functionality that can be used to write anaccompanying metadata document conforming to the GMP. It may be convenient to use
either of these tools for authoring metadata even if no data is being published. Although
the IPT is software that requires installation, it might save a user time in the long run if
there is a need to author and manage several metadata documents. On the other hand, if
only a few metadata documents are needed, it might be easiest to make use of aSpreadsheet Template.

Another option is to modify a sample document9.

Below is a

description of each of these methodologies.

Integrated Publishing Toolkit (IPT)The IPT is a GBIF tool for publishing occurrence and taxonomic data, as well as resource
metadata, using Darwin Core Archives. The process for installing the IPT on a web serveris described in detail in the IPT User Manual10.
The IPT contains a user-friendly interface that makes authoring metadata easy. Once auser has inputted and saved the minimum required metadata, they can return to it at anytime to add to or modify the metadata.
In total, there are 12 different forms in the IPT that logically organise metadata entry.
These are:
1. Basic Metadata
2. Geographic Coverage
3. Taxonomic Coverage
4. Temporal Coverage
5. Other Keywords
6. Associated Parties
7. Project Data7

http://code.google.com/p/gbif-providertoolkit/

8

http://tools.gbif.org/spreadsheet-processor/

9

http://tools.gbif.org/eml-gbif-sample.xml

10

http://code.google.com/p/gbif-providertoolkit/downloads/detail?name=GBIF_IPT_User_Manual_1.0.pdf

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8. Sampling Methods
9. Citations
10. Collection Data
11. Physical Data
12. Additional Metadata
The IPT User Manual11 goes through each form and its respective fields in some depth.
Occasionally, the form will provide help dialogs to aid the user in understanding what anelement means (Figure 1).

Figure 1 - Screenshot of a help dialog for the term “Study Area Description”

To ensure suitable data are entered, the fields are validated and informative messages
displayed back to the user to assist them in filling out the forms (Figure 2).

Figure 2 - Screenshot of the field validation message displayed when an email field is submittedwith an irregular email address.

For further reference, the GBIF Metadata Profile Reference Guide12 includes a descriptionof each element with an accompanying example.
Once installed on a web server, the IPT conveniently publishes the metadata document
making it available on a publicly accessible URL and registering the URL with the GBIF

11

http://links.gbif.org/ipt_user_manual, for metadata fields, please go to
http://code.google.com/p/gbif-providertoolkit/wiki/IPT2ManualNotes - Metadata

12

http://links.gbif.org/gbif_metadata_profile_guide_en_v1April 20113

Registry. The IPT ensures that it is validated against the GBIF Metadata Profile so the user
does not have to worry about validation.
If at any time the metadata are modified, the user only has to update the document andclick the “Publish” button on the Manage Resource page (Figure 3).

Figure 3 - Screenshot of the Published Release section of the Manage Resource page of the IPT.

GBIF Darwin Core Spreadsheet Templates
The GBIF Darwin Core Spreadsheet Templates are simple tools to assist in the publicationof either occurrence or taxonomic data through the GBIF network. Once data have beenentered into the templates, the GBIF Spreadsheet Processor13 can be used to generate aDarwin Core Archive file containing both the dataset and its associated metadata. TheDarwin Core Archive will then need to be made publically accessible on a web server andthe URL registered with GBIF. This process is described in Publishing and Registering Datawith GBIF14.
Companion User Guides15 for the GBIF Darwin Core Spreadsheet Templates (either theSpecies & Vernacular Names Spreadsheet Template16, the Species Checklist Spreadsheet
Template17 or the Occurrence Spreadsheet Template18) provide thorough assistance on
how to author metadata.

13

http://tools.gbif.org/spreadsheet_processor

14

http://links.gbif.org/dwc-a_publishing_guide_en_v1

15

http://links.gbif.org/dwc-a-spreadsheet-processor-guide16

http://tools.gbif.org/spreadsheet-processor/templates/checklist/checklist-3_v0.9.xls

17

http://tools.gbif.org/spreadsheet-processor/templates/checklist/checklist-1_v0.9.xls

18

http://tools.gbif.org/spreadsheet-processor/templates/occurrence/occurrence-1_v0.9.xls

April 20114

Figure 4 - Screenshot of part of the Basic Metadata section of the Dataset Description page in
Spreadsheet mode

There is hover-over help for fields that have a red triangle at the top right (Figure 5).
The spreadsheet templates make use of controlled lists (vocabularies) for some fields,such as country and basis of record. In addition, the required fields are all clearly marked
with asterisks (Figure 5).

Figure 5 - Screenshot of part of the People and Organisations section of the Dataset Description
page showing the hover-over help in Spreadsheet mode

Where there is doubt about what a field means, the GBIF Metadata Profile Reference
Guide19 can be used to look up the description of its corresponding element with anaccompanying example.
Once the metadata have been filled out, they need to be converted into a metadata
document conforming to the GMP. To do so, the spreadsheet is submitted to the GBIF
Spreadsheet Processor that accepts the spreadsheet file, validates it, and transforms it
into a zipped Darwin-Core Archive that contains the metadata document. Note: otherdata-related sheets found in the Spreadsheet Template do not have to be completed andcan be left with the default data. Inside the returned archive is an eml.xml file – this19

http://links.gbif.org/gbif_metadata_profile_guide_en_v1

April 20115

represents the metadata document.

Other files packaged inside the archive can beignored and correspond to the data-related sheets. For help filling in the data-related
sheets could refer to the Darwin Core Archive How-to20 document or the companion User
Guides for the Spreadsheet Templates.21

20

http://links.gbif.org/gbif_dwc-a_how_to_guide_en_v1

21

http://links.gbif.org/dwca_spreadsheet_processor_guide

April 2011

6

Modify an Existing Sample Document
Another quick and easy way to author a metadata document conforming to the GMP is totake the reference sample22 document and edit it. Refer to the following list to ensure it
is completed properly:
1. Fill in all required elements (Refer to the Appendix: Required Elements).
2. Remove example placeholder information from all other fields that do not pertain
to the data resource. Be careful to not remove fields (columns) as this could breakthe XML validity of the document. Nor should extra elements be added, unless it isto the “additionalMetadata” section.
3. Set the “packageId” attribute inside the <eml:eml>.

Remember, the packageId

should be any globally unique ID fixed for that document. Whenever the documentchanges, it must be assigned a new packageId. For example: packageId='619a4b951a82-4006-be6a-7dbe3c9b33c5/eml-1.xml' for the 1st version of the document,
packageId='619a4b95-1a82-4006-be6a-7dbe3c9b33c5/eml-2.xml' for the 2nd version,and so on.
To ensure that the new document is valid, both as an XML document and in conforming tothe GMP, it is essential to validate the new document against the GML schema. To do so,
use the online validation service provided by GBIF: http://tools.gbif.org/dwcavalidator/eml.do.

For help with debugging the XML document, please refer to the

Appendix: Best practices guide to debugging/validating XML.

22

http://tools.gbif.org/eml-gbif-sample.xml

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Appendix

Required Elements
It is recommended that as many elements are completed as possible to ensure that themetadata are as descriptive and complete as possible.
Nevertheless, the GMP has a minimum set of five mandatory elements. These mandatory
elements are designed to allow a prospective end-user of the data to discover theresource’s name, description, contact person, and rights management information.
These elements are:
1. title
2.

metadataProvider, creator, and contact with as much of the following as possible:
a. givenName – part of individualName (Required)b. surname – part of individualName (Required)c. organizationName
d. positionNamee. rolef. deliveryPoint – part of addressg. city – part of address
h. administrativeArea – part of addressi.

postalCode – part of address

j. country – part of address
k. phonel. electronicMailAddress (Required)m. onlineUrl
3. abstract
4. pubDate
5. language (of metadata document)
For each element’s detailed description, you can refer to the GBIF Metadata Profile
Reference Guide23

23

http://links.gbif.org/gbif_metadata_profile_guide_en_v1

April 20118

Best practices guide to debugging/validating XML•

Q: I receive the following error: “Eml validation errororg.xml.sax.SAXParseException: The processing instruction target matching"[xX][mM][lL]" is not allowed.” – what does this mean?

•A: Ensure there is no whitepace before <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>•Q: I receive something similar to the following error:“org.xml.sax.SAXParseException: An invalid XML character (Unicode: 0x1c) was
found in the element content of the document – what does it mean?

•A: XML has a special set of characters that cannot be used in XML strings. Theseneed to be replaced with their escaped equivalent:1.

& should be replaced by &amp;

2. < should be replaced by &lt;
3. > should be replaced by &gt;
4. " should be replaced by &quot;
5. ' should be replaced by &#39;

April 20119