U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Fact Sheet 2004-3107

September 2004

South Florida Information Access (SOFIA) Metadata

for the U.S. Geological Survey Greater Everglades Priority 

Ecosystems Science

Printed on recycled paper

Beginning in 1995 the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) 

funded scientific research to support the restoration of the 

Greater Everglades area and to supply decision makers 

and resource mangers with sound data on which to base 

their actions. However, none of the research and resulting 

data is useful if it can’t be discovered, can’t be assessed 

for utility in an application, can’t be accessed, or is in an 

undetermined format. The decision was made early in 

the USGS Place-Based Studies (PBS) program to create 

a “one-stop” entry for information and data about USGS 

research results. To facilitate the discovery process some 

mechanism was needed to allow standardized queries 

about data. The FGDC metadata standard has been used 

to document the South Florida PBS data from the beginning.

A survey of project chiefs in 1996 showed that most felt 

metadata are important to their work and in assessing 

other data for use. However, the great majority of them 

replied that they had no money or personnel allocated 

to creating the metadata. Thus the metadata portion of 

SOFIA was created and funded to aid the scientists in 

fulfilling the requirement for FGDC-compliant metadata. 

When a new project is authorized, a metadata record is 

created. As the project progresses and data becomes 

available, the project record is updated and metadata is 

created for data posted on the Data Exchange pages. The 

software currently used to create most of the metadata is 

Spatial Metadata Management System* (SMMS) from 

Intergraph (figure 1). The version in use has an Access 

Database to store common elements such as contact, and 

citation information, the metadata standard identification information, and other information used in all of the 

records. The newly created or revised metadata record 

is sent to the project chief or data producer for review 

and comments. Changes requested by the reviewer are 

made and the record is finalized. It is then exported from 

SMMS in ASCII text 

format for input to the 

USGS metadata parser 

program (mp). The record 

is checked for errors using 

mp. When all errors are 

remedied, the record is 

again run through mp and 

output in several different 

formats.

A second method of creating metadata records uses 

Extensible Markup Language or XML (figure 2). 

The USGS has developed 

an application, XMLInput, 

that was initially for use by 

contractors, cooperators, 

and partners. The application uses XML-based 

templates that can be filled 

in. An advantage is that 

Figure 1: the project chief or data SMMS input screen
provider need only fill in certain information instead of 

having to create a complete FGDC metadata record. The 

information in the template can be merged with existing 

information to complete the full metadata record.

A third method of metadata creation is through ArcCatalog 

from ESRI and is used for data sets (figure 3). ArcCatalog 

extracts certain metadata elements from the information 

stored with e-data file(s) and places it in the appropriate 

FGDC metadata elements.

At present all FY 2004 funded projects have current metadata and over 100 data sets have been documented.

The formats used for 

SOFIA metadata records 

are html, text, and xml. 

A variation on the html 

format is called Question 

and Answer format. This 

format extracts information from the FGDC metadata format and answers a 

series of questions. This 

format is also referred 

to as “metadata in plain 

language”.

Examples of the various formats are shown in 

figures 4 through 7.

MP, metadata parser 

program, has the ability through the use of a 

configuration file to link 

the various formats so that 

a user can go from one to 

another using the links at 

the top of the record.

Some points to remember 

to make the metadata more 

useful. 

1. There are only two 

required sections in the 

FGDC minimal metadata 

record; however information in the other five sections make the data more 

useful.

2. Much of the information used to populate the 

metadata record exists in 

the form of yearly work 

plans, progress summaries, 

papers, posters, and other 

publications. 

Figure 2: XML input template screen

Figure 3: ArcCatalog screen 
3. Metadata is not really difficult and there are SOFIA project personnel available to create the metadata and to make 

any necessary changes. 

4. Good metadata makes your data useful to others even if 

you move on to other projects or organizations.

Information

Information on XTME, 

TKME, cns, and 

mp can be found at 

geology.usgs.gov/tools/

metadata/.

XMLInput software is 

available for download at 

ftp://ftpext.usgs.gov/pub/

cr/mo/rolla/release/xmlinput/

An explanation of 

Metadata in plain language can be found at 

geology.usgs.gov/tools/

metadata/tools/doc/ctc/.

The FGDC metadata standard is available at www.

fgdc.gov/metadata/contstan.html.

Information on SMMS is 

available at www.intergraph.com/gis/smms/.

SOFIA wants the metadata for your data

sofia.usgs.gov/metadata/

For further information 

about metadata, contact:

Jo Anne Stapleton 

jastapleton@usgs.gov

703 648-4592 voice

703 648-4614 fax

Roy Sonenshein 

sunshine@usgs.gov

305 717 5824 voice

305 717-5801 fax

Figure 4: FGDC html format

Figure 5: Question and Answer format
Figure 6: ASCII text format

For information on other USGS products and services, 

call 1-888-ASK-USGS, or visit the USGS Geography 

Products Web site at erg.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/pubslists/.

For additional information, visit the ask.usgs.gov Web 

site or the USGS home page at www.usgs.gov.

______________________________________________

* Any use of trade, product, or firm name is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the 

U.S. Government.

Figure 7: XML format

Figure 8: Example of the top of a metadata record showing the links (highlighted in yellow)

Figure 8: Diagram of metadata record creation and revision.

(The process is the same for revising metadata starting with the existing metadata record.)