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FGDC Technical Guidance:

Data.gov and The GeoPlatform

Metadata Recommendations

Including Guidelines for 

National Geospatial Data Assets (NGDA)

version

December 13, 2022
FGDC Technical Guidance: Data.gov and The GeoPlatform Metadata Recommendations

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Federal Geographic Data Committee

Federal Geographic Data Committee, Reston, Virginia, USA: 2021

For more information on the Federal Geographic Data Committee

World Wide Web: http://www.fgdc.gov/

E‐mail: fgdc@fgdc.gov

Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply

endorsement by the U.S. Government.

Although this report is in the public domain, permission must be secured from the individual

copyright owners to reproduce any copyrighted materials contained within this report.
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Table of Contents

Introduction....................................................................................................................................................1

Metadata Standards........................................................................................................................................2

How to Read and Use This Document...........................................................................................................3

Metadata Content Best Practices....................................................................................................................4

Write Informative Titles and Abstracts......................................................................................................4

Titles.......................................................................................................................................................4

Abstracts.................................................................................................................................................5

Populate Date Elements Using the Correct Format ...................................................................................5

Date Elements ........................................................................................................................................5

Date Formats..........................................................................................................................................6

Indicate the Status of the Resource ............................................................................................................7

Populate Unique Identifier Elements Formatted in Accord with Your Agency’s Policy..........................7

Unique Identifier Elements....................................................................................................................7

Provide Rich Keywords and Use Controlled Vocabularies.......................................................................8

Rich Keywords.......................................................................................................................................8

Controlled Vocabularies.........................................................................................................................9

ISO Topic Category .............................................................................................................................10

Include Links to Browse Graphics...........................................................................................................11

Provide Contact Information....................................................................................................................12

Organization Name: Agency Name .....................................................................................................12

Central Point of Contact for the Resource ...........................................................................................12

Contact Information .............................................................................................................................12

Provide Direct URLs to Data Download .................................................................................................13

Establish and Document Web Services ...................................................................................................15

Establish Web Services for Geospatial Data........................................................................................15

Fully Document Web Services ............................................................................................................16

Metadata Publication Best Practices............................................................................................................18

Create and Publish Collection-level Metadata.........................................................................................18

Create Collection-level and Collection Member Metadata Records....................................................18

Publish Collection-level and Collection Member (Parent/Child) Metadata Records..........................20

Don’t Publish Metadata for Resources Produced by Others....................................................................20

Reference Section.........................................................................................................................................21

FGDC Endorsed Geospatial Metadata Standards....................................................................................21
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Federal Geospatial Metadata Guidance Documents, Reports, and Information Resources ....................21

Federal Geospatial Data Policies and Programs ......................................................................................21

Example Metadata Records......................................................................................................................22

W3C & OGC Best Practices....................................................................................................................22

Uniform Resource Identifiers (URIs).......................................................................................................22

Controlled Vocabularies...........................................................................................................................23

ISO 19115-1 Codelists.............................................................................................................................24

ISO 19115-1 Date Type Codes (Date element) ...................................................................................24

ISO 19115-1 Progress Codes (Status element)....................................................................................24

ISO 19115-1 Maintenance Frequency Code (Status element).............................................................25

ISO 19115-1 Topic Category Codes (Topic Category element)..........................................................25

ISO 19115-1 Role Codes (Responsible Party element).......................................................................27

NGDA Metadata Checklist ......................................................................................................................29
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Revision History:

Date Revision

12/9/2019 Significant changes and additions made to the prior 2017 publication. 

Content is updated to ISO 19115-1 metadata standard and combines

deprecated documents “Metadata Recommendations Supporting Data 

Discovery and Use in Data.gov and the Geospatial Platform” and 

“National Geospatial Data Asset (NGDA) Metadata Guidelines.” 

10/27/2021 Incorporation of GDA metadata guidance and FAIR best practices. 

Revised ‘Title’ guidance. Clarification on ‘Date’ definitions and use of 

‘DateTypeCodes’. Revisions to resource ‘Identifier’ guidance. 

Addition of NGDA# to NGDA ‘Keywords’. Removal of 

‘OnlineFunctionCode’ specification. Removal of ‘xlink’ usage 

restriction. Addition of an ‘NGDA Metadata Checklist’. Revisions to 

‘Direct Data Download’ guidance and xpath location of format name. 

Removal of ‘applicationProfile specification. Addition of GeoPlatform 

FAQ resources. Removal of ancillary guidance not specific to 

Data.gov and GeoPlatform operational best practices. 

11/22/2022 Statement inserted before the introduction to clarify the document 

provides best practices vs compliance requirements. Modifications 

included Replacing the terms 'requirement' and 'required' with a more 

relevant term, e.g. best practice, recommendation, expectation, etc. 

throughout the document except when the term was specific to a 

standards requirement, e.g. ISO 19115* requires the Topic Category 

element be populated. Approximately 13 terms were revised.
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This document provides best practices only and is not intended as 

policy that agencies must comply with, or for audit purposes.

Introduction

Metadata creation and management is a geospatial data management best practice. Metadata records 

document the who, what, why, where, when, and how of the resource (dataset or service) and provide 

context for data consumers as to the content, extent, quality, purpose, intended use, and limitations of the 

resource.

The Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) has long promoted the creation of standardized 

geospatial metadata and recent legislation including the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking 

Act (or OPEN Government Data Act, Pub.L. 115–435) and the Geospatial Data Act of 2018 (GDA)

specify critical roles for metadata. The GDA requires Covered Agencies1to “include standards for 

metadata for geospatial data, and other appropriate standards, including documenting geospatial data with 

the relevant metadata and making metadata available through the GeoPlatform.”2Lead Covered 

Agencies3are required to create and maintain “metadata for geospatial data within the National 

Geospatial Data Asset data theme.”

4

The GDA establishes the GeoPlatform, which is required to “include 

metadata for all geospatial data collected by covered agencies, directly or indirectly.”5Further, the GDA 

requires that metadata standards “to the maximum extent practicable, shall be consistent with international 

standards and protocols.”6

Documenting geospatial data resources robustly and in accord with national, and international, metadata 

standards is a data management and stewardship best practice based on the principles of FAIR:

 Findable

Machine-readable metadata are essential for automatic discovery of datasets and services

 Accessible

Once the user finds the required data, they need to know how it can be accessed

 Interoperable

The data needs to work reliably with other data, applications ,or workflows for analysis, storage, 

and processing

 Reusable

The metadata should be well-described so that data can be used to derive other data and replicated 

and/or combined in different settings.

The recommendations that follow are intended to support implementation of the GDA and support 

metadata publishers in developing rich metadata content that will enhance the discovery of resources 

within Data.gov and the GeoPlatform and enable the utility of the results within the GeoPlatform. Special 

attention is given to the use of standardized vocabularies when curating keywords, the incorporation of 

unique identifiers, and the documentation of geospatial web services. Consistent use of these metadata 

 

1 Title 43 USC Ch. 46: Geospatial Data, Sec. 2801. Definitions

2 Title 43 USC Ch. 46: Geospatial Data, Sec. 2808. Covered Agency Responsibilities

3 Title 43 USC Ch. 46: Geospatial Data, Sec. 2801. Definitions

4 Title 43 USC Ch. 46: Geospatial Data, Sec. 2805. National Geospatial Data Asset Data Themes

5 Title 43 USC Ch. 46: Geospatial Data, Sec. 2807. GeoPlatform

6 Title 43 USC Ch. 46: Geospatial Data, Sec. 2806. Geospatial Data Standards
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elements will enhance the user experience by enabling data download, visualization, analysis, and custom 

map production within the GeoPlatform and other geographical information systems.

The document outlines best practices for creating geospatial metadata and specifies metadata content 

recommendations that support the discovery of National Geospatial Data Assets (NGDA) within Data.gov 

and the GeoPlatform. The document also serves as a complement to the Project Open Data Metadata 

Schema provided at resources.data.gov.

Metadata Standards

In accord with the GDA, covered agencies are required to provide metadata to the GeoPlatform (via 

Data.gov) for all geospatial data. Metadata must be produced using a geospatial metadata standard. The 

FGDC currently endorses the FGDC-authored Content Standard for Geospatial Metadata (CSDGM) and 

several ISO 19000 series metadata standards. 

Data.gov can ingest CSDGM and ISO 19115/19139 metadata and transforms the CSDGM metadata to 

ISO 19115/19139. GeoPlatform ingests the ISO metadata from Data.gov.

The ISO 19000 metadata series provides data stewards several advantages. It is a modular set of standards 

that enables the compilation of metadata elements specific to your data resource: digital map, 

geodatabase, imagery, web service, etc. The ISO metadata series provides for the documentation of 

current geospatial data formats and applications. Following are the ISO geospatial metadata standards in 

the 19000 series:

 ISO 19115: Geographic Information – Metadata content standard 

o formatted using ISO/TS 19139:2007: Geographic information -- Metadata -- XML schema

Note that FGDC has yet to endorse the 2019 update

ISO/TS 19139-1:2019: Geographic information — XML schema implementation — Part 1: 

Encoding rules

 ISO 19115-1:2014 Geographic Information – Metadata – Part 1: Fundamentals – Metadata

content standard

o formatted using ISO/TS 19115-3:2016 Geographic information -- Metadata -- Part 3: 

XML schema implementation for fundamental concepts

 ISO 19115-2:2019 Geographic information -- Metadata -- Part 2: Extensions for acquisition and 

processing

o formatted using ISO/TS 19139-2:2012: Geographic information — Metadata — XML 

schema implementation — Part 2: Extensions for imagery and gridded data

The GDA and OMB Circular A-119 call for agencies to use voluntary consensus standards, such as those 

developed through ISO, in lieu of government-unique standards. The FGDC Steering Committee has 

approved an effort to establish a task team to evaluate and recommend a path forward for reestablishing a resourced 

and sustainable standards process. The goal is to meet the FGDC’s and agencies’ responsibilities related to 

standards under the GDA, A-16, and other relevant directives. This work will result in developing and updating a 

standards management process that can be used to establish metadata standards under the GDA.

This guidance is written using the element names, examples, and XPaths from the most current, ISO 

19115-1, standard. However, it provides specific guidance for CSDGM implementation and for ISO 

19115 implementation where it differs from ISO 19115-1.
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How to Read and Use This Document

This document provides guidance specific to the creation of metadata intended for publication to Data.gov 

and the GeoPlatform. The recommendations were developed to improve data discovery and to facilitate 

the assessment and application of found resources. Metadata producers are encouraged to read the entire 

document in order and incorporate the recommendations into their own metadata production process.

Readers should be aware of the following document components:

CSDGM Guidance Call-out Boxes

Information specific to the publication of the FGDC Content Standard for Digital Geospatial 

Metadata (CSDGM) is presented in blue call-out boxes when the CSDGM elements, domain, 

or format significantly differs from ISO 19115-1. The call-out boxes are included, as needed, 

at the end of each relevant metadata topic.

NGDA Guidance Call-out Boxes

Information specific to the publication of FGDC-designated National Geospatial Data Asset 

(NGDA) resource metadata is presented in tan call-out boxes. The call-out boxes are 

included, as needed, at the end of each relevant metadata topic.

XPaths

XPaths are XML expressions that identify the location of the metadata element within the 

metadata record. Some metadata elements such as identifiers and dates occur in multiple locations 

throughout the metadata record. XPaths provide a navigable path for locating the element within 

the metadata section/class with which the element is associated. For example:

MD_Metadata.identificationInfo>MD_Identification.citation>CI_Citation.date>CI_Date.date

is read as 

‘Within the metadata record (MD_Metadata), go to the Identification section (MD_Identification),

locate the Citation section (CI_Citation), and provide a date (CI_Date.date) for the resource’.

Reference Section

A Reference Section is provided at the end of this document to provide users additional 

information about specific topics and to provide links to additional resources. Links to relevant 

Reference Section topics are provided throughout the document.

NGDA Metadata Checklist

A checklist of NGDA metadata best practices meant to facilitate ingestion into Data.gov and the 

GeoPlatform is provided below in the Reference Section. The checklist summarizes the NGDA 

metadata best practices and is provided for NGDA publishers to review and verify their content.
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Metadata Example Records

ISO and CSDGM metadata records have been developed to illustrate the implementation of these 

guidelines. The example records provide detailed XML and HTML presentations of the metadata 

content. Links to the example records are provided in the Reference Section. 

Metadata Content Best Practices

Write Informative Titles and Abstracts

Titles

A good title is descriptive and distinctive. It provides data consumers a good sense of the resource 

content and context and enables them to distinguish among similar resources. Titles should not try to 

replace an Abstract or Purpose statement, but they should strive to relay the what, when, where and, if 

relevant, the who, why, and how of the resource. For example:

 What feature or feature collection does the resource represent?

 When did the content occur or when was it captured?

 Where is the content located on the earth?

 Who is the authority for the resource?

 Why was the resource created?

 How is the resource formatted?

Title example:

Aquifer Systems and Recharge Potential in Louisiana, Louisiana Oil Spill Coordinator’s Office 

(LOSCO), 2020, [aqrgeog3dpdeq.shp]

NGDA Guidance: Title

NGDA metadata titles, filenames, and Web Accessible Folder (WAF) file locations should 

remain the same to the greatest degree possible when updated records are published. When 

metadata titles, filenames, or locations are changed, Data.gov republishes the metadata with a 

new URL. If the Data.gov URL changes, it is difficult to maintain the registry of NGDA 

Portfolio Datasets maintained in the NGDA Theme Community site.

If the NGDA is updated on an annual, or other basis, consider creating a metadata record for 

the entire collection (See Create and Publish Collection-level Metadata below). The 

collection-level metadata record will contain the same content as the individual metadata 

records with the following changes:

 edit the abstract making clear that the record represents the entire collection

 add NGDA keywords to the collection-level metadata record and remove NGDA 

keywords from the individual dataset metadata records if previously included

 change temporal extent endpoint to ‘now’

<gml:beginPosition>1992</gml:beginPosition>

<gml:endPosition indeterminatePosition="now"/>

 include distribution links for the most current version of the resource and, if relevant, 

the site from which all versions of the data resource can be accessed.
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It is important that you notify the NGDA Portfolio Team (NGDATeam@FGDC.gov) if 1) 

the title or the Data.gov publication URL for your NGDA changes, or 2) a collection-level 

metadata record is created and published for your NGDA.

Abstracts

A good abstract provides the information necessary for data consumers to assess the relevance of 

an available data resource to their specific data needs. To meet this objective, the abstract should 

include:

 a general description of the data resource content and features

 the form of the data resource, e.g. GIS, imagery, database, service, application, etc.

 the purpose for which the data resource was developed

 relevant place names and references

 the time period of the data resource content

 the resolution of the resource

 information about special data characteristics or limitations, e.g. data access limitations, 

excluded geographies or content, completeness, etc.

Populate Date Elements Using the Correct Format

Date Elements

There are numerous options within the metadata record to record date values. Dates enable machines 

to improve search results and humans to determine the relevancy and ‘fitness for use’ of the resource. 

To clarify the action associated with the date, ISO date elements require a companion date type code. 

The following date types are most useful in assessing a resource:

 creation

 publication

 lastUpdate (ISO19115-1) / revision (ISO 19115)

ISO 19115: To ensure that Data.gov and GeoPlatform reharvests your updated metadata 

records you must update the Metadata Date Stamp element described below.

Dates for the following metadata elements support data discovery and assessment:

 Data Resource Dates

MD_Metadata.identificationInfo>MD_Identification.citation>CI_Citaton.date>CI_Date.date

This is a repeatable element that should be used to provide:

 Original publication date of the data resource

CI_DateTypeCode = ‘publication’

 The latest update date for the data resource

CI_DateTypeCode = ‘lastUpdate’ (ISO19115-1) / ‘revision’ (ISO 19115)
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 Metadata Record Dates

MD_Metadata.dateInfo>CI_Date.date (19115-1)

This is a repeatable element that should be used to provide:

 Original publication date of the metadata record

CI_DateTypeCode = ‘publication’

 The latest update date for the metadata record

CI_DateTypeCode = ‘lastUpdate’

MD_Metadata.dateStamp (19115)

This is a single date value, used by Data.gov, the GeoPlatform, and other systems to identify 

metadata records that have been updated and need to be reharvested and replaced. It is 

important that this date be updated every time the metadata is changed. While, technically, 

defined as the ‘date the metadata file was created’, the element is used because ISO 19115 

does not include an element for the date the metadata was last updated. 

The complete CI_DateTypeCode codelist is provided in the Reference Section. 

CSDGM User Note: Date Elements

CSDGM date elements do not have an associated Date Type Code because date elements are 

labeled, and defined, specific to the action, e.g. ‘Publication Date’, ‘Process Date’, etc. Provide 

the CSDGM date elements below.

 use Publication Date to identify the original publication date of the resource

metadata/idinfo/citation/citeinfo/pubdate

 use Metadata Date to identify the most current date of the metadata record

metadata>metainfo>metd

Date Formats

ISO 19115* requires that dates to be specified in ISO 8601 format, for example:

YYYY-MM-DD

If the exact day or month is not known, the convention allows for the use of YYYY-MM and YYYY. 

When the specific date is not known, indeterminatePosition allows for the use of date qualifiers: 

before, after, now, and unknown, e.g.

<gml:beginPosition indeterminatePosition=”unknown”/>

CSDGM User Note: Date Format

CSDGM expects dates to be specified in the form: YYYYMMDD

The convention allows for the use of just the year: YYYY. 

However, the 6-letter representation, YYYYMM, e.g. 201112 (December of 2011), must not be 

used as it is easily misinterpreted as the incorrect, but still used, YYMMDD form, e.g. 201112 

(November 12, 2020). 
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Indicate the Status of the Resource

Information about the development status of the resource is critical to assessing the fitness for use of a 

data resource. The following elements are key to understanding the resource status.

 Progress Code

The developmental status of the resource 

MD_Metadata.identificationInfo>MD_Identification.status>MD_ProgressCode

NOTE: Resources that are complete but subject to updates should have a status of ‘completed’ and 

use the Maintenance and Frequency code, below, to indicate that the resource is subject to updates.

The complete MD_ProgressCode codelist is provided in the Reference Section. 

 Maintenance and Update Frequency

Indicate if the resource is subject to regular, irregular, or as needed updates.

MD_Metadata.identificationInfo>MD_Identification.resourceMaintenance>MD_MaintenanceInf

ormation.maintenanceAndUpdateFrequency>MD_MaintenanceFrequencyCode

The complete MD_MaintenanceFrequencyCode codelist is provided in the Reference Section. 

NGDA User Note: Resource Status

The Progress Code for NGDA resources published to Data.gov should have a value of 

‘completed’ to make clear that the resources are fully enabled for use. The Maintenance and 

Update Frequency element should be applied to resources that are updated on a regular, irregular, 

or as needed basis. The documentation of the resource status aligns with the objectives of the 

NGDA Lifecycle Maturity Assessment.

Populate Unique Identifier Elements Formatted in Accord with Your Agency’s Policy

Unique Identifier Elements

Unique identifiers are character strings associated with a single entity and guaranteed to be unique. 

Identifiers increase the efficiency and accuracy of metadata by enabling direct and reliable access to 

individual resources. As the number of geospatial data resources rapidly increases, the ability to 

identify and locate resources becomes more complex and the role of unique identifiers more critical.

Many agencies have implemented a standardized approach for the assignment of unique identifiers to 

the resources produced by the agency. Agencies that have not implemented the assignment of unique 

identifiers are strongly encouraged to implement unique identifiers in accordance with the World 

Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) Best Practices listed in the 

Reference Section of this document. W3C and OGC recommend the use of a Uniform Resources 

Identifier (URI) - an IETF/W3C standard scheme for treating resource identifiers as globally unique 

and persistent, even when the resource ceases to exist or becomes unavailable.
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File Identifiers

ISO metadata provides the following elements to uniquely identify data resources and the 

metadata record associated with the resource. 

 Citation Identifier uniquely identifies the resource

MD_Metadata.identificationInfo>MD_Identification.citation>CI_Citation.identifier>MD

_Identifier.code

 Metadata Identifier uniquely identifies the metadata record associated with the resource

MD_Metadata.metadataIdentifier>MD_Identifier.code (19115-1)

MD_Metadata.fileIdentifier (19115).

Other Identifiers

Identifiers are also used to represent commonly used specifications and eliminate the need to 

restate specification parameters that are published elsewhere and easily accessed. 

For example, the European Petroleum Survey Group (EPSG), an industry standards organization, 

has created identifiers for each projection specification that consolidate and codify the parameters. 

Therefore, if a standard projection is used, without modification, the EPSG code can be provided 

as the unique and unambiguous ISO spatial Reference System Identifier and the projection 

parameters are fully referenced rather than explicitly documented.

 Reference System Identifier uniquely identifies the geospatial referencing system for the 

resource

MD_Metadata.referenceSystemInfo>MD_ReferenceSystem.referenceSystemIdentifier>MD

_Identifier.code (ISO 19115-1)

MD_Metadata.referenceSystemInfo>MD_ReferenceSystem.referenceSystemIdentifier>RS

_Identifier.code (ISO 19115)

CSDGM User Note: Identifiers

CSDGM does not provide specific elements for the documentation of unique identifiers. 

However, identifiers should be incorporated into elements with free text domains when relevant. 

For example, the unique identifier for a resource can be included within the Other Citation 

Details element of the metadata record Citation.

Provide Rich Keywords and Use Controlled Vocabularies

Rich Keywords

Data.gov and the GeoPlatform rely heavily on keywords to identify resources of highest interest to 

users. Keywords of all types should be provided, as relevant, including:

 theme

 place

 stratum

 temporal extent

 discipline
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Keywords outline the content and purpose of the resource. Users and machines are best able discern, 

differentiate, and distinguish the resources when presented with a rich set of accurate keywords. 

Publishers are encouraged to include a wide variety of keywords bearing in mind that quality is far 

more important than quantity. 

Example:

Listing all 50 U.S. States as keywords is not particularly helpful for humans or machines trying to 

distinguish whether a dataset is relevant to a specific location. In contrast, listing ‘United States of 

America’ as a keyword makes clear that the resource is national in scope.

Publishers are encouraged to consider selecting keywords that uniquely identify the resource. This is 

especially important when considering theme-related keywords. 

Example:

‘Coastal’ is a very broad term that is applicable to many geospatial data resources. However, terms 

such as ‘dune regeneration’, ‘beach nourishment’, and ‘seawall’ impart detailed information about 

the content and purpose of the resource.

When documenting keywords, each keyword must be listed individually and not grouped into a 

delimited list.

Correct:

Theme Keyword: dune regeneration

Theme Keyword: beach nourishment 

Theme Keyword: seawall

Incorrect:

Theme Keyword: dune regeneration, beach nourishment, seawall.

Controlled Vocabularies

Keywords are most effective when drawn from discipline-specific controlled vocabularies such as 

the Classification of Wetlands and Deepwater Habitats of the United States taxonomy, the Global 

Change Master Directory (GCMD) Science Keywords, and the Global Names Index Service 

(GNIS) gazetteer. The use of controlled vocabularies helps to standardize the spelling and 

definition of the term and therefore improves the relevancy of the search and user assessment 

results. 

Use the following elements when documenting keywords from controlled vocabularies:

 Thesaurus Name: the title of the controlled vocabulary

MD_Metadata.identificationInfo>MD_Identification.descriptiveKeywords>MD_Keywords.the

saurusName>CI_Citation.title

 Thesaurus Online Link: an online link, if available, to the controlled vocabulary

MD_Metadata.identificationInfo>MD_Identification.descriptiveKeywords>MD_Keywords.the

saurusName>CI_Citation.onlineResource>CI_OnlineResource.linkage

 Thesaurus Identifier: the unique identifier, if available, for the controlled vocabulary

MD_Metadata.identificationInfo>MD_Identification.descriptiveKeywords>MD_Keywords.the

saurusName>CI_Citation.identifier>MD_Identifier.code.
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If the vocabulary is not published, provide a contact for the vocabulary within the thesaurus 

Citation and encourage the contact to make the vocabulary available online. 

Keywords from controlled vocabularies with well-known, authoritative, and complete thesaurus 

citations are essential for humans and machines to distinguish the best and most appropriate resources 

to use for a given purpose. A list of commonly used geospatial vocabularies is provided in the 

Reference Section. 

ISO Topic Category

In addition to Keywords, ISO 19115* requires the Topic Category element be populated. Metadata 

creators must select one or more Topic Category values to describe the general theme of the resource. 

The Topic Category codeset is an international controlled vocabulary used by Data.gov, the 

GeoPlatform, and many other systems to identify and sort available resources in a standardized 

manner. The Topic Category codeset is provided in the Reference Section.

CSDGM User Note: Keywords

CSDGM does not include an element for Topic Category. Users should therefore include relevant

Topic Category values (see Reference Section) as a Theme Keyword and specify "ISO 19115 

Topic Category" as the Theme Keyword Thesaurus. The following example illustrates the 

CSDGM documentation of the ISO Topic Categories associated with a U.S. Census Metropolitan 

Statistical Areas dataset.

Keyword:

Theme: 

Theme Keyword: Boundary

Theme Keyword: Society

Theme Keyword Thesaurus: ISO 19115 Topic Category

NGDA Guidance: Keywords

To facilitate the identification of the data as an NGDA resource and to support the population of 

the GeoPlatform NGDA Theme Data Resource pages, separate the NGDA keywords under the 

Theme Keyword Thesaurus: NGDA Portfolio Themes as specified below.

Keyword:

Theme: 

Theme Keyword: NGDA

Theme Keyword: National Geospatial Data Asset

Theme Keyword: NGDAID# (replace the # symbol with the NGDA ID number assigned to your NGDA 

resource and leave NO space between the text and the number, e.g. NGDAID167). NGDAID can be 

found in the NGDA Portfolio Datasets list.

Theme Keyword: (select the Theme that relates to your NGDA resource from the list below. Note: Do not 

include commas or other punctuation as some search engines cannot properly handle punctuation)

Address Theme

Biodiversity and Ecosystems Theme 

Cadastre Theme

Climate and Weather Theme 

Cultural Resources Theme 
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Elevation Theme

Geodetic Control Theme

Geology Theme

Governmental Units and Administrative and Statistical Boundaries Theme

Imagery Theme

Land Use Land Cover Theme

Real Property Theme

Soils Theme

Transportation Theme

Utilities Theme

Water Inland Theme

Water Oceans and Coasts Theme

Theme Keyword Thesaurus: NGDA Portfolio Themes

NOTE: Do not include other, non-NGDA, keywords in the NGDA Portfolio Themes Thesaurus

list of keywords.

Include Links to Browse Graphics

Browse or “thumbnail” graphics are especially valuable for the identification of relevant search 

results. The adage “a picture tells a thousand words” is true and a quick view of the data can often 

provide sufficient information for a user to discern its appropriateness. Provide the following 

Browse Graphic information to enable Data.gov and the GeoPlatform to display the graphic with the 

search results.

ISO 19115-1

 Browse Graphic Linkage: a link that enables access and display of the graphic

MD_Metadata.identificationInfo>MD_Identification.graphicOverview>MD_BrowseGraphic.l

inkage.

ISO 19115

 ISO 19115 does not include a browse graphic linkage element so metadata creators should 

include the linkage as the Browse Graphic File Name

MD_Metadata.identificationInfo>MD_Identification.graphicOverview>MD_BrowseGraphic.f

ileName

Best Practices:

 If more than one browse graphic is specified, the first browse graphic listed should be the best

representation of the resource. For datasets, this is commonly a small map that illustrates the 

extent and nature of the content.

 To facilitate efficient machine processing and positive user experiences, browse graphic 

images should be relatively small, for example, no larger than 800x600 pixels (~1MB) and 

encoded with compression as JPG or PNG format.
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CSDGM User Note: Browse Graphics

CSDGM does not specify a linkage element for Browse Graphic. Publishers are encouraged to 

provide the URL as the Browse Graphic File Type.

Provide Contact Information

Organization Name: Agency Name

Like controlled vocabularies, naming authorities establish consistency in organizational reference. As 

such, federal agencies should directly and unambiguously follow guidance from those organizations 

whose mission and authority is to maintain lists of government and affiliated organization identifiers. 

OMB agency names and Bureau Codes are available from Preparation, Submission, and Execution of 

the Budget, Circular A-11, Appendix C.

Multiple Responsibility.organizationName elements can be used to include the agency and bureau 

names as shown below.

Responsibility

Organization Name: Department of the Interior

Responsibility

Organization Name: United States Geological Survey

Central Point of Contact for the Resource

 While there are many opportunities within the ISO metadata record to identify contacts, the 

inclusion of a Point of Contact enables Data.gov and the GeoPlatform to direct users to a 

single point of inquiry for the resource. To facilitate discovery by ‘organization’ within 

Data.gov and the GeoPlatform, the Point of Contact should be the agency directly responsible 

for the metadata publication.

MD_Metadata.identificationInfo>MD_Identification.pointOfContact>CI_Responsibility.orga

nizationName (ISO 19115-1)

MD_Metadata.identificationInfo>MD_Identification.pointOfContact>CI_ResponsibleParty.or

ganizationName (ISO 19115)

Contact Information

In addition to identifying the Point of Contact agency responsible for publishing the resource, other

contacts (distributor, originator, processor, etc.) and supporting information are needed to guide the 

data consumer to the contact most relevant to their inquiry. 

 Agency units associated with the resource

...>CI_Responsibility.organizationName (ISO 19115-1)

...>CI_ResponsibleParty.organizationName (ISO 19115)

 Staff positions associated with the resource

...>CI_Responsibility.positionName (ISO 19115-1)

...> CI_ResponsibleParty.positionName (ISO 19115)

 Agency/unit/position role with regard to the resource

...>CI_Responsibility.role (CI_RoleCode) (ISO 19115-1)

...>CI_ResponsibleParty.role (CI_RoleCode) (ISO 19115)
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 The email address of the contact

...>CI_Responsibility.contactInfo>CI_Contact.address>CI_Address.electronicMailAddress

(ISO 19115-1)

...>CI_ResponsibleParty.contactInfo>CI_Contact.address>CI_Address.electronicMailAddres

s (ISO 19115)

 The phone number for the contact:

...>CI_Responsibility.contactInfo>CI_Contact.phone>CI_Telephone.number (ISO 19115-1)

...>CI_ResponsibleParty.contactInfo>CI_Contact.phone>CI_Telephone.number (ISO 19115).

CSDGM User Note: Contact Information

Use the following elements to document contacts associated with the resource:

 Point of Contact agency responsible for publishing the resource

metadata>idinfo>ptcontac>cntinfo>cntorgp>cntorg

 Email address of the contact

metadata>idinfo>ptcontac>cntinfo>cntvoice

 Phone number for the contact:

metadata>idinfo>ptcontac>cntinfo>cntemail

Provide Direct URLs to Data Download

Data.gov and the GeoPlatform depend on operational, direct links to provide users access to available 

resources and associated information. The primary mission of Data.gov and the GeoPlatform is to connect 

users with data. As such, a direct access URL to the data download is expected when available.

It is understood that a direct data download URL is not an option for NGDAs that represent a large 

number of associated data resources, e.g. collections, or are served via an agency website that provides 

users options in configuring and compiling the data for download. In these cases, agencies are encouraged 

to coordinate with the NGDA team (NGDATeam@fgdc.gov) to explore solutions for supporting 

GeoPlatform web mapping and other services that download and utilize the data. 

ISO 19115-1

Provide the direct data download URL and supporting information as listed below:

 Provide the download URL as either:

MD_Metadata.identificationInfo>MD_DataIdentification.citation>CI_Citation.onlineResource>

CI_OnlineResource.linkage

or 

MD_Metadata.distributionInfo>MD_Distribution.transferOptions>MD_DigitalTransferOptions.o

nLine>CI_OnlineResource.linkage

 Provide the download file name as either:

MD_Metadata.identificationInfo>MD_DataIdentification.citation>CI_Citation.onlineResource>

CI_OnlineResource.name

or

MD_Metadata.distributionInfo>MD_Distribution.transferOptions>MD_DigitalTransferOptions.o

nLine>CI_OnlineResource.name
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 Provide a description of the download resource product as either:

MD_Metadata.identificationInfo>MD_DataIdentification.citation>CI_Citation.onlineResource>

CI_OnlineResource.description

or

MD_Metadata.distributionInfo>MD_Distribution.transferOptions>MD_DigitalTransferOptions.o

nLine>CI_OnlineResource.description

 Indicate the format of the download, e.g. ESRI Shapefile, ESRI Smart Data Compression, 

Triangular Irregular Network, MrSID, JPEG 2000, PDF, ZIP, as recommended by the FAQ -

GeoPlatform Formats document.

MD_Metadata.identificationInfo>MD_DataIdentification.resourceFormat>MD_Format.formatSp

ecificationCitation>CI_Citation.title

or

MD_Metadata.distributionInfo>MD_Distribution.distributionFormat>MD_Format.formatSpecifi

cationCitation>CI_Citation.title

ISO 19115

 Provide the download URL as either:

MD_Metadata.identificationInfo>MD_DataIdentification.citation>CI_Citation.citedResponsibleP

arty>CI_ResponsibleParty.contactInfo>CI_Contact.onlineResource>CI_OnlineResource.linkage

or 

MD_Metadata.distributionInfo>MD_Distribution.transferOptions>MD_DigitalTransferOptions.o

nLine>CI_OnlineResource.linkage

 Provide the download file name as either:

MD_Metadata.identificationInfo>MD_DataIdentification.citation>CI_Citation.citedResponsibleP

arty>CI_ResponsibleParty.contactInfo>CI_Contact.onlineResource>CI_OnlineResource.name 

or

MD_Metadata.distributionInfo>MD_Distribution.transferOptions>MD_DigitalTransferOptions.o

nLine>CI_OnlineResource.name

 Provide a description of the download resource to give consumers much needed context for the 

URL as either:

MD_Metadata.identificationInfo>MD_DataIdentification.citation>CI_Citation.citedResponsibleP

arty>CI_ResponsibleParty.contactInfo>CI_Contact.onlineResource>CI_OnlineResource.descript

ion

or

MD_Metadata.distributionInfo>MD_Distribution.transferOptions>MD_DigitalTransferOptions.o

nLine>CI_OnlineResource.description

 Indicate the format of the download, e.g. ESRI Shapefile, ESRI Smart Data Compression, 

Triangular Irregular Network, MrSID, JPEG 2000, PDF, ZIP, as recommended by the FAQ -

GeoPlatform Formats document.

MD_Metadata.identificationInfo>MD_DataIdentification.resourceFormat>MD_Format.name

or

MD_Metadata.distributionInfo>MD_Distribution.distributionFormat>MD_Format.name
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CSDGM User Note: Data Download

The data download URL should be documented in the Distribution section (vs. 

Citation.onlineLink) so that key format information is also captured.

 Provide the download URL as

Network Address

Metadata>Distribution>Standard Order Process>Digital Transfer Option>Online 

Option>Network Address

 Provide a description of the download resource as

Format Information Content

Metadata>Distribution>Standard Order Process> Digital Form> Digital Transfer 

Information>Format Information Content

 Indicate the format of the download, e.g. ESRI Shapefile, ESRI Smart Data Compression, 

Triangular Irregular Network, MrSID, JPEG 2000, PDF, ZIP, or other, as

Format Name

Metadata>Distribution>Standard Order Process> Digital Form> Digital Transfer 

Information>Format Name

 Provide the CSDGM mandatory format version information as

Format Version Name

Metadata>Distribution>Standard Order Process>Digital Transfer Information>Format 

Version Name

or

Format Version Date

Metadata>Distribution>Standard Order Process>Digital Transfer Information>Format 

Version Date

 Provide the CSDGM mandatory statement of cost as

Fees

Metadata>Distribution>Standard Order Process>Fees

Establish and Document Web Services

Establish Web Services for Geospatial Data

Web services play a key role in any open platform experience. GeoPlatform provides this experience 

in two ways:

 Application services (tools) that run in a browser so users can perform useful tasks

 Web services that a developer integrates into their own application, through standards-based 

application program interfaces (APIs).

Agencies are expected to establish web services for their geospatial data and to document those 

services in a manner that enables the GeoPlatform to access and ingest those services. GeoPlatform 

supported web service APIs are outlined in the FAQ - Baseline of GeoPlatform Standards
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Fully Document Web Services 

ISO metadata allows for the documentation of services:

Within a dataset metadata record

 Service Identification

 Distribution Method

or

As a stand-alone ISO 19115-1 or 19115 metadata record 

 Service Identification (in place of Data Identification) 

If a stand-alone ISO 19115-1 or 19115 metadata record is created for the service, datasets hosted 

by the service, current and future, can be linked to the same service metadata record and 

information about the service is maintained and updated in a central location. 

Most existing metadata creation workflows do not include the creation of stand-alone service 

metadata records. Organizations are encouraged to incorporate the production of service metadata 

records into their workflow. Until then, service information should be added to existing dataset 

metadata records within the Online Resource component of any of the following:

 Data Citation

MD_Metadata.identificationInfo>MD_Identification.citation>CI_Citation.onlineResource

 Distribution Transfer Option

MD_Metadata.distributionInfo>MD_Distribution.transferOptions>MD_DigitalTransferOptio

ns.online

 Distribution Distributor

Metadata.distributionInfo> 

MD_Metadata.distributionInfo>MD_Distribution.distributor>MD_Distributor.distributorTra

nsferOptions>MD_DigitalTransferOptions.online

Metadata for a web service should include:

1. A name for the service.

MD_Metadata.identificationInfo>MD_Identification.citation>CI_Citation.onlineResource>C

I_OnlineResource.name

or

MD_Metadata.distributionInfo>MD_Distribution.transferOptions>MD_DigitalTransferOptio

ns.online>CI_OnlineResource.name

or

Metadata.distributionInfo>MD_Metadata.distributionInfo>MD_Distribution.distributor>MD

_Distributor.distributorTransferOptions>MD_DigitalTransferOptions.online>CI_OnlineReso

urce.name.

2. A description that outlines the purpose and content of the service.

MD_Metadata.identificationInfo>MD_Identification.citation>CI_Citation.onlineResource>C

I_OnlineResource.description

or
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MD_Metadata.distributionInfo>MD_Distribution.transferOptions>MD_DigitalTransferOptio

ns.online>CI_OnlineResource.description

or

Metadata.distributionInfo>MD_Metadata.distributionInfo>MD_Distribution.distributor>MD

_Distributor.distributorTransferOptions>MD_DigitalTransferOptions.online>CI_OnlineReso

urce.description.

3. An actionable (i.e., online and consumable) service endpoint URL that provides direct access 

to the geospatial web service of the specified resource type. 

The URL must enable uniform and reliable access to a dataset as maps and layers via online 

services that are compliant with the OGC WMS and/or Esri REST API specifications. If there 

are multiple services for an individual dataset, all the endpoint URLs for map services that 

host the dataset should be documented.

MD_Metadata.identificationInfo>MD_Identification.citation>CI_Citation.onlineResource>C

I_OnlineResource.linkage

or

MD_Metadata.distributionInfo>MD_Distribution.transferOptions>MD_DigitalTransferOptio

ns.online>CI_OnlineResource.linkage

or

Metadata.distributionInfo>MD_Metadata.distributionInfo>MD_Distribution.distributor>MD

_Distributor.distributorTransferOptions>MD_DigitalTransferOptions.online>CI_OnlineReso

urce.linkage.

CSDGM User Note: Publish Web Services

The web services URL should be documented in the Distribution section (vs. 

Citation.onlineLink) so that key format information is also captured.

 Provide the service URL as

Network Address

Metadata>Distribution>Standard Order Process>Digital Transfer Option>Online 

Option>Network Address

 Provide a description of the service as

Format Information Content

Metadata>Distribution>Standard Order Process> Digital Form> Digital Transfer 

Information>Format Information Content

 Indicate the format of the service, using the application profile types listed above, as

Format Name

Metadata>Distribution>Standard Order Process> Digital Form> Digital Transfer 

Information>Format Name

 Provide the webservice mandatory format version information as

Format Version Name

Metadata>Distribution>Standard Order Process>Digital Transfer Information>Format 

Version Name

or

Format Version Date

Metadata>Distribution>Standard Order Process>Digital Transfer Information>Format 
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Version Date

 Provide the CSDGM mandatory statement of cost as

Fees

Metadata>Distribution>Standard Order Process>Fees

Metadata Publication Best Practices

Create and Publish Collection-level Metadata

Collections and series are comprised of data resources that share similar, homogenous content but may

vary in terms of spatial and temporal dimensions. Examples include orthoimagery, elevation points, 

hydrography, and land cover. Collection-level metadata is useful in guiding users toward specific data 

resources.

Create Collection-level and Collection Member Metadata Records

Create metadata records for both the collection and, as feasible, the members of the collection using 

the following steps.

1. Create a metadata record for the entire collection (parent) that provides a(n):

 Title that references the resource as a collection or series

MD_Metadata.identificationInfo>MD_Identification.citation>CI_Citation.title

 Identifier that uniquely identifies the data collection

MD_Metadata.identificationInfo>MD_Identification.citation>CI_Citation.identifier

 Abstract that identifies and describes the resource as a collection or series, e.g. ‘This is 

a collection-level metadata record’

MD_Metadata.identificationInfo>MD_Identification.citation>CI_Citation.identifier

 Geographic Extent for the complete collection

MD_Metadata.identificationInfo>MD_Identification.extent>EX_Extent.geographicEleme

nt>EX_GeographicExtent.(polygon, bounding box, or identifier)

 Temporal Extent for the complete collection

MD_Metadata.identificationInfo>MD_Identification.extent>EX_Extent.temporalElement

>EX_TemporalExtent.extent

 Online Linkage to the website that describes the collection and/or provides access to 

individual collection members

MD_Metadata.identificationInfo>MD_Identification.citation>CI_Citation.onlineResourc

e>CI_OnlineResource.linkage

2. Create metadata records for the individual collection members (children) and subset 

compilations, as feasible. The collection-level metadata can be transformed to an individual 

record by editing the:

 Title that references the resource as a member of a collection or series and indicates the 

specific geography and/or temporal extent

 Identifier that uniquely identifies the collection member

 Abstract that identifies and describes the resource as a member of the collection of 

series, e.g. ‘This resource is a member of a collection’
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 Geographic Extent and/or Temporal Extent for the individual member

 Online Linkage to the website that provides information about or access to individual 

collection member

In addition, the metadata record for the individual member of a resource collection should 

document the relationship to the larger collection and include:

 Title of associated larger collection

MD_Identification.associatedResource>MD_AssociatedResource.name>CI_Citation.t

itle (ISO 19115-1)

MD_Identification.aggregationInfo>MD_AggregationInfo.aggregateDataSetName>

CI_Citation.title (ISO 19115)

 Association of the individual member to the larger collection 

MD_Identification.associatedResource>MD_AssociatedResource.associationType>

DS_AssociationTypeCode, e.g. ‘largerWorkCitation’, ‘partOfSeamlessDatabase’ (ISO 

19115-1)

MD_Identification.aggregationInfo>MD_AggregationInfo.associationType>

DS_AssociationTypeCode, e.g. ‘largerWorkCitation’, ‘partOfSeamlessDatabase’, 

‘collectiveTitle’, ‘series’ (ISO 19115)

 Identifier for the associated larger collection.

MD_Identification.associatedResource>MD_AssociatedResource.name>CI_Citation.

Identifier (ISO 19115-1)

MD_Identification.aggregationInfo>MD_AggregationInfo.aggregateDataSetIdentifier

>CI_Citation.identifier (ISO 19115).

CSDGM User Note: Collection Level Metadata Records

CSDGM users should follow the same steps as above using the elements designated below.

1. Create a metadata record for the entire collection (parent) that provides a(n):

 Title that references the resource as a collection or series.

 Abstract that identifies and describes the resource as a collection or series, e.g. ‘This is 

a collection-level metadata record’.

 Geographic Extent and Temporal Extent for the complete collection.

 Online Linkage to websites that describes the collection.

2. Create metadata records for the individual collection members (children) and subset 

compilations, as feasible. The collection-level metadata can be transformed to an individual 

record by editing the:

 Title that references the resource as a member of a collection or series and indicates the 

specific geography and/or temporal extent.

 Abstract that identifies and describes the resource as a member of the collection of 

series, e.g. ‘This resource is a member of a collection’.

 Geographic Extent and/or Temporal Extent for the individual member.

 Online Linkage that provides direct access to the individual member.

 Larger Work Citation for the collection of which the individual resource is a member.
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Publish Collection-level and Collection Member (Parent/Child) Metadata Records

Once metadata is created for both the collection and the individual collection members, it is important 

to organize and place the metadata in a manner that enables Data.gov to harvest collection-member 

metadata and the collection-level metadata without introducing duplicates. 

At this time, Data.gov expects publishers to: 

1. Place the individual member metadata records in a single WAF that is separate from the WAF 

that contains the collection level-metadata record.

2. Register the member metadata WAF as a "WAF Homogeneous Collection” Harvest Source in 

catalog.data.gov.

3. Create the “WAF Homogeneous Collection,” providing agency-specific URLs for the 

following Harvest Source registration elements:

 URL – provide a link to the WAF that contains the member metadata records

 Collection Metadata URL – provide a link to the collection-level metadata record.

By organizing and registering collection-level and member metadata records in this manner, Data.gov 

and the GeoPlatform are able to point users to member metadata records upon discovery of the 

collection-level metadata record. This greatly facilitates user access to the resource that best meets 

their information needs.

Don’t Publish Metadata for Resources Produced by Others

Metadata must be published to Data.gov by the agency that is responsible for the resource. If metadata for 

the same resource is duplicated, it can result in conflicting information about the resource, confusion 

about the resource authority, and the unintended use of derived resources. When committing resources to 

Data.gov, a publisher is asserting that the resources conform to the data quality guidelines of the 

publishing organization and that they are authors of such data. 

If an organization modifies a resource, the Title, Abstract, and Lineage of the metadata record for the 

modified resource should make clear the modification and attribute both the source of the resource and 

the authority responsible for the resource.

In some cases, publishers may serve as a metadata clearinghouse for other organizations, such as a federal 

Enterprise Data Inventory (EDI) or a State metadata catalog. These publishers are encouraged to publish 

to Data.gov if the metadata records within their catalog are unique and clearly cite the authority 

responsible for the resource. If the publisher cannot assure that the records are unique, the Title and 

Abstract for each metadata record should include the publisher’s name, e.g. ‘State of Oregon Metadata 

Clearinghouse – National Hydrography Dataset (NHD)...’ to distinguish it from the possible publication 

of the same resource by another organization.

If a source metadata record is copied, modified, and republished for derived data, remove any keywords 

or organization information that are not associated with the derived data.
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Reference Section

FGDC Endorsed Geospatial Metadata Standards

 ISO 19115-1:2014 Geographic Information – Metadata – Part 1: Fundamentals – Metadata

(https://www.iso.org/standard/53798.html)

Encoded by

o ISO/TS 19115-3:2016 Geographic information -- Metadata -- Part 3: XML schema 

implementation for fundamental concepts (https://www.iso.org/standard/32579.html)

 ISO 19115:2003 Geographic Information – Metadata (https://www.iso.org/standard/26020.html)

Encoded by

o ISO/TS 19139:2007: Geographic information -- Metadata -- XML schema 

(https://www.iso.org/standard/32557.html)

 ISO 19115-2:2009 Geographic information - Metadata - Part 2: Extensions for imagery and gridded 

data (https://www.iso.org/standard/67039.html)

Encoded by

o ISO/TS 19139-2:2012: Geographic information — Metadata — XML schema implementation 

— Part 2: Extensions for imagery and gridded data (https://www.iso.org/standard/57104.html)

 FGDC-STD-001-1998 Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata 

(https://www.fgdc.gov/standards/projects/metadata/base-metadata/v2_0698.pdf)

Encoded by

o CSGDM XML Schema Document (XSD) (https://www.fgdc.gov/schemas/metadata/) 

Federal Geospatial Metadata Guidance Documents, Reports, and Information Resources

 ISO Metadata Summit Summary Report (https://www.fgdc.gov/metadata/events/iso-metadatasummit-2017/iso-metadata-summit-summary-report-20170630.pdf)

 How to Get Your Open Data on Data.gov (https://www.digitalgov.gov/resources/how-to-get-youropen-data-on-data-gov/)

 ISO Metadata Standards (https://www.fgdc.gov/metadata/iso-standards)

 ISO Geospatial Metadata Implementation Model Workflow (https://www.fgdc.gov/metadata/isoimplementation-model-workflow)

 FAQ – GeoPlatform Formats 

(https://geoplatform.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/GC/pages/1069154305/FAQ+-

+GeoPlatform+Formats)

 FAQ – Baseline of GeoPlatform Standards 

(https://geoplatform.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/GC/pages/1068433459/FAQ+-

+Baseline+of+GeoPlatform+Standards)

Federal Geospatial Data Policies and Programs

 Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018 (https://www.congress.gov/bill/115thcongress/house-bill/4174/text)

 OPEN Government Data Act (https://www.congress.gov/115/bills/s760/BILLS-115s760is.pdf) 

 FAIR Principles (https://www.go-fair.org/fair-principles/) 

 Geospatial Data Act of 2018 (https://www.fgdc.gov/gda) 

 OMB A119 Revised (https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Circular-119-1.pdf)
FGDC Technical Guidance: Data.gov and The GeoPlatform Metadata Recommendations

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 Supplemental Guidance on the Implementation of M-13-13 “Open Data Policy – Managing 

Information as an Asset (Project Open Data implementation Guide) (https://project-opendata.cio.gov/implementation-guide/)

 Federal Open Data Policy M-13-13 (https://digital.gov/open-data-policy-m-13-13/)

 NGDA Portfolio (https://communities.geoplatform.gov/ngda-portfolio/ngda-portfolio/)

 Federal Register Listing of Agency Names (https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies)

 Preparation, Submission, and Execution of the Budget, Circular A-11, Appendix C: 

(https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/default/files/omb/assets/a11_current_year/app_c.pdf) 

Example Metadata Records

Example ISO and CSDGM metadata records, and other metadata-related resources, are provided at:

https://www.fgdc.gov/technical-guidance

W3C & OGC Best Practices

 Data on the Web Best Practices (https://www.w3.org/TR/dwbp/)

a. Best Practice 9: Use persistent URIs as identifiers of datasets 

(https://www.w3.org/TR/dwbp/#DataIdentifiers)

 Spatial Data on the Web Best Practices, OGC and W3C, 2017, (https://www.w3.org/TR/sdw-bp/)

a. Best Practice 1: Use globally unique persistent HTTP URIs for Spatial Things

(https://www.w3.org/TR/sdw-bp/#bp-identifiers)

 OGC Naming Authority Best Practices (http://www.opengeospatial.org/standards/na).

Note specifically, the policy document titled “OGC-NA Name type specification - specification 

elements“(10-103). The generic scheme for identifying persistent names for online resources (e.g., 

service type identifiers) follows this pattern: http://{namingAuthority}/spec/{specName}/{version}

Uniform Resource Identifiers (URIs)

Title Description URL

DOI Foundation Not-for-profit membership 

organization that governs and 

manages Digital Object Identifier 

(DOI) services and registration

http://doi.org/

Uniform Resource 

Identifiers (URI): 

Generic Syntax

Specifies an Internet standards 

track protocol for the Internet 

community, and requests 

discussion and suggestions for 

improvements (1998)

http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2396.txt

URI review procedures OGC Naming Authority (OGC-NA) 

process for assigning URIs for 

OGC resources, such as OGC 

documents, standards, XML 

namespaces, ontologies (2013)

https://www.opengeospatial.org/projects/groups/ogcnasc

USGS Data 

Management DOI 

Guidance provided to USGS on 

use of DOIs 

https://www.usgs.gov/products/data-and-tools/datamanagement/digital-object-identifiers?qtscience_support_page_related_con=0#qtscience_support_page_related_con

Permanent Identifiers 

for the Web

Provides a secure, permanent

URL re-direction service for Web 

applications. This service is run by 

the W3C Permanent Identifier 

https://w3id.org/
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Community Group.

Persistent URL 

(PURL)Service

The PURL service is an initiative 

of the Internet Archive, a 

501(c)(3) non-profit,

building a digital library of 

Internet sites and other cultural 

artifacts in digital form.

http://purl.org/

Controlled Vocabularies

Controlled Vocabulary Description URL

Classification of 

Wetlands and 

Deepwater Habitats of 

the United States 

(aka Cowardin System)

Wetlands are classified by 

landscape position, vegetation 

cover and hydrologic regime. The 

Cowardin system includes five 

major wetland types: marine, tidal, 

lacustrine, palustrine and riverine.

https://www.fws.gov/wetlands/documents/Classificationof-Wetlands-and-Deepwater-Habitats-of-the-UnitedStates-2013.pdf

Global Change Master 

Directory (GCMD) 

Science Keywords

Earth science dataset and service 

descriptions which cover subject 

areas within Earth and 

environmental sciences.

https://gcmd.nasa.gov/search/Keywords.do#keywords

Global Names Index 

Service (GNIS)

The official names for places, 

features, and areas in the 50 

States, the District of Columbia, 

the territories, and outlying areas 

of the United States, including 

Antarctica. Coordinated with State 

naming authorities to standardize 

geographic names.

https://geonames.usgs.gov/apex/f?p=138:1:635126462574

6

USGS Thesaurus The USGS Thesaurus is a controlled 

vocabulary providing category 

terms for scientific information 

products generated The thesaurus 

is faceted, meaning its top terms 

delineate general aspects of 

information resources: by the U.S. 

Geological Survey.

https://www2.usgs.gov/science/about/

Topographic Feature 

Vocabularies and 

Semantics

The TOPO files contain a subset of 

basic data resources from The 

National Map to link to other RDF 

data. The LOD graphs are based on 

two primary resources: the USGS 

feature Name, relevant 

identification codes, and the Open 

Geospatial Consortium 

GeoSPARQL ontology.

https://www.usgs.gov/core-sciencesystems/ngp/cegis/linked-geospatial-data
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ISO 19115-1 Codelists

Reference: https://standards.iso.org/iso/19115/resources/Codelists/cat/codelists.html

ISO 19115-1 Date Type Codes (Date element)

Date Type Code Description

creation date identifies when the resource was brought into existence

publication date identifies when the resource was issued

revision date identifies when the resource was examined or re-examined and improved or 

amended

adopted date identifies when resource was adopted

deprecated date identifies when resource was deprecated

distribution date identifies when an instance of the resource was distributed

expiry date identifies when resource expires

inForce date identifies when resource became in force

lastRevision date identifies when resource was last reviewed

lastUpdate date identifies when resource was last updated

nextUpdate date identifies when resource will be next updated

released the date that the resource shall be released for public access

superseded date identifies when resource was superseded or replaced by another resource

unavailable date identifies when resource became not available or obtainable

validityBegins time at which the data are considered to become valid. NOTE: There could be quite a 

delay between creation and validity begins

validityExpires time at which the data are no longer considered to be valid

creation date identifies when the resource was brought into existence

publication date identifies when the resource was issued

ISO 19115-1 Progress Codes (Status element)

Progress Code Description

completed has been completed

historicalArchive stored in an offline storage facility

obsolete no longer relevant

onGoing continually being updated

planned fixed date has been established upon or by which the resource will be created or 

updated

required needs to be generated or updated

underDevelopment currently in the process of being created

final progress concluded and no changes will be accepted

pending committed to, but not yet addressed

retired item is no longer recommended for use. It has not been superseded by another item

superseded replaced by new

tentative provisional changes likely before resource becomes final or complete

valid acceptable under specific conditions

accepted agreed to by sponsor
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Progress Code Description

notAccepted rejected by sponsor

withdrawn removed from consideration

proposed suggested that development needs to be undertaken

deprecated resource superseded and will become obsolete, use only for historical purposes

ISO 19115-1 Maintenance Frequency Code (Status element)

Progress Code Description

continual resource is repeatedly and frequently updated

daily resource is updated each day

weekly resource is updated on a weekly basis

fortnightly resource is updated every two weeks

monthly resource is updated each month

quarterly resource is updated every three months

biannually resource is updated twice each year

annually resource is updated every year

asNeeded resource is updated as deemed necessary

irregular resource is updated in intervals that are uneven in duration

notPlanned there are no plans to update the data

unknown frequency of maintenance for the data is not known

periodic resource is updated at regular intervals

semimonthly resource updated twice a monthly

biennially resource is updated every 2 years

ISO 19115-1 Topic Category Codes (Topic Category element)

Topic Category Code Description Examples

farming rearing of animals and/or 

cultivation of plants.

agriculture, irrigation, aquaculture, 

plantations, herding, pests and diseases 

affecting crops and livestock

biota flora and/or fauna in natural 

environment.

wildlife, vegetation, biological sciences, 

ecology, wilderness, sealife, wetlands, 

habitat

boundaries legal land descriptions. political and administrative boundaries

climatologyMeteorologyAtmosphere processes and phenomena 

of the atmosphere.

cloud cover, weather, climate, 

atmospheric conditions, climate change, 

precipitation

economy economic activities, 

conditions and employment.

production, labor, revenue, commerce, 

industry, tourism and ecotourism, 

forestry, fisheries, hunting, exploration 

and exploitation of resources such as 

minerals, oil and gas

elevation height above or below sea 

level.

altitude, bathymetry, digital elevation 

models, slope, derived products

environment environmental resources, 

protection and conservation.

environmental pollution, waste storage 

and treatment, environmental impact 
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Topic Category Code Description Examples

assessment, monitoring environmental 

risk, nature reserves, landscape

geoscientificInformation information pertaining to 

earth sciences.

geophysical features and processes, 

geology, minerals, sciences dealing with 

the composition, structure and origin of 

the earth s rocks, risks of earthquakes, 

volcanic activity, landslides, gravity 

information, soils, permafrost, 

hydrogeology, erosion

health health, health services, 

human ecology, and safety.

disease and illness, factors affecting 

health, hygiene, substance abuse, 

mental and physical health, health 

services

imageryBaseMapsEarthCover base maps. land cover, topographic maps, imagery, 

unclassified images, annotations

intelligenceMilitary military bases, structures, 

activities.

barracks, training grounds, military 

transportation, information collection

inlandWaters inland water features, 

drainage systems and their 

characteristics.

rivers and glaciers, salt lakes, water 

utilization plans, dams, currents, floods, 

water quality, hydrographic charts

location positional information and 

services.

addresses, geodetic networks, control 

points, postal zones and services, place 

names

oceans features and characteristics 

of salt water bodies 

(excluding inland waters).

tides, tidal waves, coastal information, 

reefs

planningCadastre information used for 

appropriate actions for 

future use of the land.

land use maps, zoning maps, cadastral 

surveys, land ownership

society characteristics of society and 

cultures.

settlements, anthropology, archaeology, 

education, traditional beliefs, manners 

and customs, demographic data, 

recreational areas and activities, social 

impact assessments, crime and justice, 

census information

structure man-made construction. buildings, museums, churches, factories, 

housing, monuments, shops, towers

transportation means and aids for 

conveying persons and/or 

goods.

roads, airports/airstrips, shipping routes, 

tunnels, nautical charts, vehicle or vessel 

location, aeronautical charts, railways

utilitiesCommunication energy, water and waste

systems and 

communications 

infrastructure and services.

hydroelectricity, geothermal, solar and 

nuclear sources of energy, water 

purification and distribution, sewage 

collection and disposal, electricity and 

gas distribution, data communication, 

telecommunication, radio, 

communication networks

extraterrestrial region more than 100 km 

above the surface of the 

earth

space, planets

disaster information related to 

disasters

site of the disaster, evacuation zone, 

disaster prevention facility, disaster 
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Topic Category Code Description Examples

relief activities

ISO 19115-1 Role Codes (Responsible Party element)

Responsible Party 

Role Code

Description

author the individual or organization whose name should appear first in the citation for the 

resource (for names that come after the first use co-author). while it is possible to have 

an author and principle investigator be the same individual or organization, author is 

not the same as nor synonymous with principle investigator. applicable mainly to 

documents, reports, memos, etc.

custodian the individual or organization that has accountability and responsibility for the data and 

ensures appropriate care and maintenance of the resource.

distributor the organization that is responsible for providing the PARR required access to the data.

originator the name of the individual or organization who is responsible for the data at the point 

when the data was first created. applicable for datasets that are an aggregation of two 

or more datasets or if the dataset is the first instance of the signal having been 

converted into data.

owner the individual or organization that has ownership of the resource.

pointOfContact the individual or organization who is responsible for the initial triage of and answering 

questions related to the resource.

principalInvestigator the individual or individuals who are the lead researchers for a grant (i.e. head of the 

laboratory, research group leader, etc.). if there are co-principal investigators then this 

field will repeat for each principle investigator. while it is possible to have a principal 

investigator and author be the same individual or organization, principal investigator is 

not the same nor synonymous with author.

processor the name of the individual or organization who has processed the data in a manner 

such that the resource has been modified.

publisher the individual or organization who prepares and issues the resource.

resourceProvider the individual or organization that supplies or allocates the resource for another entity.

sponsor the individual or organization who is providing sponsorship for the resource.

user the individuals or organizations who are the intended consumers of the resource.

coAuthor the individual(s) or organization(s) who name(s) should appear after the first name in a 

citation for the resource (use author to denote the first name in the citation). while it is 

possible to have a co-author and principal investigator/collaborator be the same 

individual or organization, co-author is no the same as nor synonymous with principle 

investigator or collaborator

collaborator party who assists with the generation of the resource other than the principal 
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Responsible Party 

Role Code

Description

investigator

contributor the individuals or organizations whose contributions deserve recognition in the citation. 

contributor is mutually exclusive from author, co-author, principal investigator, and 

collaborator. use ISO MD_Identification credit field to identify individual or 

organizations that should be given acknowledgement only.

editor the individual who has made a corrective or editorial change to the resource as part of 

a systematic revision process.

funder the individual or organization which has provided all or part of the finances associated 

with the resource.

mediator a class of entity that mediates access to the resource and for whom the resource is 

intended or useful

rightsHolder the individual or organization who has ownership of the legal right to the resource.

stakeholder an individual or organization who has an interest in the resource and/or is affected by 

or affects the actions of the resource
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NGDA Metadata Checklist

completed Content Description Ref

Page

NGDA Title The metadata title matches the NGDA Portfolio

title

4

Citation Date A citation ‘publication’ date is provided for the 

resource

5

Metadata Date A metadata ‘publication’ date (19115-1) or 

‘date.stamp’ (19115) is provided for the metadata 

record

6

Date Format Dates are formatted using the YYYY-MM-DD 

format

6

Progress Code Progress code ‘completed’ or other, as applicable, 

is provided for the resource

7

Maintenance and Update Frequency A maintenance and update frequency is provided 

for resources that are updated on a regular, 

irregular, or as needed basis

7

Resource Unique Identifier If the agency has implemented assignment of 

identifiers, a unique identifier is provided for the 

resource

7

ISO 19115 Topic Category (ISO only) One or more ISO 19115 Topic Category specified 10

ISO 19115 Topic Category as Theme 

Keywords (CSDGM only)

One or more ISO 19115 Topic Category specified 

as a Theme Keyword

10

ISO 19115 Topic Category Theme 

Keyword Thesaurus (CSDGM only)

ISO Topic Category keywords associated with 

Keyword Thesaurus: ‘ISO 19115 Topic Category’

10

NGDA Theme Keywords NGDA Theme Keywords [‘NGDA’, National 

Geospatial Data Asset’, ‘(NGDA-specified) 

Theme’, ‘NGDAID# (NGDA-specified #)’]

10

NGDA Theme Keyword Thesaurus NGDA keywords associated with Keyword 

Thesaurus: ’NGDA Portfolio Themes’

11

Browse Graphic URL A Browse Graphic URL is specified for the 

Browse Graphic file name

11

Point of Contact Contact information is provided for the Point of 

Contact element

12

Direct Data Download URL A URL is provided for direct download of the 

resource

13

Direct Data Download URL 

documentation

The direct download URL is fully documented 

with descriptive and informative file name (ISO 

only), file description, and file format

13

Web Service URL A URL is provided to access the resource via a 

web service

16

Web Service URL documentation The web service URL is fully documented with 

descriptive and informative file name (ISO only), 

file description, and format specification

16