Data evaluation and improvement is ongoing. The Biological Resources Division and the University of California, Santa Barbara make no claim as to the data's suitability for other purposes. This is writable data which may have been altered from the original product if not obtained from a designated data distributor identified above. Metadata Proper documentation of all information sources used to assemble gap analysis data layers is central to the scientific defensibility of the Gap Analysis Program. The information used to describe gap analysis data is called metadata.
Metadata are information about data.
Metadata also describe intentions, limitations, and potential uses, allowing for the informed and appropriate application of the data. The GAP metadata standards have been closely matched to the FGDC standards to ensure current and future compatibility. As the FGDC standards evolve beyond the current publication, we anticipate corresponding refinements in GAP documentation. Date of the metadata, contact for metadata updates. Demands for metadata will increase as electronic networks expand across the national and international scene and more requests are made for distribution of information.