Formal metadata information and software > CSDGM 1994 (superseded)
This document has been superseded. Everyone should refer instead to the Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata, officially known as FGDC-STD-001-1998, dated June 1998, at the web site of the Federal Geographic Data Committee.

1: Identification Information -- basic information about the data set.

Syntax:

Identification_Information =
Citation + Description + Time_Period_of_Content + Status + Spatial_Domain + Keywords + Access_Constraints + Use_Constraints + (Point_of_Contact) + (1{Browse_Graphic}n) + (Data_Set_Credit) + (Security_Information) + (Native_Data_Set_Environment) + (1{Cross_Reference}n)
Citation =
Citation_Information
Description =
Abstract + Purpose + (Supplemental_Information)
Time_Period_of_Content =
Time_Period_Information + Currentness_Reference
Status =
Progress + Maintenance_and_Update_Frequency
Spatial_Domain =
Bounding_Coordinates + (1{Data_Set_G-Polygon}n)
Bounding_Coordinates =
West_Bounding_Coordinate + East_Bounding_Coordinate + North_Bounding_Coordinate + South_Bounding_Coordinate
Data_Set_G-Polygon =
Data_Set_G-Polygon_Outer_G-Ring + 0{Data_Set_G-Polygon_Exclusion_G-Ring}n
Data_Set_G-Polygon_Outer_G-Ring =
4{G-Ring_Latitude + G-Ring_Longitude}n
Data_Set_G-Polygon_Exclusion_G-Ring =
4{G-Ring_Latitude + G-Ring_Longitude}n
Keywords =
Theme + (Place) + (Stratum) + (Temporal)
Theme =
1{Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus + 1{Theme_Keyword}n }n
Place =
1{Place_Keyword_Thesaurus + 1{Place_Keyword}n }n
Stratum =
1{Stratum_Keyword_Thesaurus + 1{Stratum_Keyword}n }n
Temporal =
1{Temporal_Keyword_Thesaurus + 1{Temporal_Keyword}n }n
Point_of_Contact =
Contact_Information
Browse_Graphic =
Browse_Graphic_File_Name + Browse_Graphic_File_Description + Browse_Graphic_File_Type
Security_Information =
Security_Classification_System + Security_Classification + Security_Handling_Description
Cross_Reference =
Citation_Information

Semantics:

Citation -- 1.1
information to be used to reference the data set. Compound.
Citation_Information -- (8)
Description -- 1.2
a characterization of the data set, including its intended use and limitations. Compound.
Abstract -- 1.2.1
a brief narrative summary of the data set.
Type: text
Domain: free text
Purpose -- 1.2.2
a summary of the intentions with which the data set was developed.
Type: text
Domain: free text
Supplemental Information -- 1.2.3
other descriptive information about the data set.
Type: text
Domain: free text
Time Period of Content -- 1.3
time period(s) for which the data set corresponds to the ground. Compound.
Time_Period_Information -- (9)

Currentness Reference -- 1.3.1
the basis on which the time period of content information is determined.
Type: text
Domain: "ground condition" "publication date" free text
Status -- 1.4
the state of and maintenance information for the data set. Compound.
Progress -- 1.4.1
the state of the data set.
Type: text
Domain: "Complete" "In work" "Planned"
Maintenance and Update Frequency -- 1.4.2
the frequency with which changes and additions are made to the data set after the initial data set is completed.
Type: text
Domain:
"Continually"
"Daily"
"Weekly"
"Monthly"
"Annually"
"Unknown"
"As needed"
"Irregular"
"None planned"
free text
Spatial Domain -- 1.5
the geographic areal domain of the data set. Compound.
Bounding Coordinates -- 1.5.1
the limits of coverage of a data set expressed by latitude and longitude values in the order western-most, eastern-most, northern-most, and southern-most. For data sets that include a complete band of latitude around the earth, the West Bounding Coordinate shall be assigned the value -180.0, and the East Bounding Coordinate shall be assigned the value 180.0 Compound.
West Bounding Coordinate -- 1.5.1.1
western-most coordinate of the limit of coverage expressed in longitude.
Type: real
Domain: -180.0 <= West Bounding Coordinate < 180.0
East Bounding Coordinate -- 1.5.1.2
eastern-most coordinate of the limit of coverage expressed in longitude.
Type: real
Domain: -180.0 <= East Bounding Coordinate <= 180.0
North Bounding Coordinate -- 1.5.1.3
northern-most coordinate of the limit of coverage expressed in latitude.
Type: real
Domain: -90.0 <= North Bounding Coordinate <= 90.0; North Bounding Coordinate >= South Bounding Coordinate
South Bounding Coordinate -- 1.5.1.4
southern-most coordinate of the limit of coverage expressed in latitude.
Type: real
Domain: -90.0 <= South Bounding Coordinate <= 90.0; South Bounding Coordinate <= North Bounding Coordinate
Data Set G-Polygon -- 1.5.2
coordinates defining the outline of an area covered by a data set. Compound.
Data Set G-Polygon Outer G-Ring -- 1.5.2.1
the closed nonintersecting boundary of an interior area. Compound.
G-Ring Latitude -- 1.5.2.1.1
the latitude of a point of the G-ring.
Type: real
Domain: -90.0 <= G-Ring Latitude <= 90.0
G-Ring Longitude -- 1.5.2.1.2
the longitude of a point of the G-ring.
Type: real
Domain: -180.0 <= G-Ring Latitude < 180.0
Data Set G-Polygon Exclusion G-Ring -- 1.5.2.2
the closed nonintersecting boundary of a void area (or "hole") in an interior area. Compound.
G-Ring Latitude -- (1.5.2.1.1)
G-Ring Longitude -- (1.5.2.1.2)
Keywords -- 1.6
words or phrases summarizing an aspect of the data set. Compound.
Theme -- 1.6.1
subjects covered by the data set (for a list of some commonly-used thesauri, see Part IV: Subject/index term sources in Network Development and MARC Standards Office, 1988, USMARC code list for relators, sources, and description conventions: Washington, Library of Congress). Compound.
Theme Keyword Thesaurus -- 1.6.1.1
reference to a formally registered thesaurus or a similar authoritative source of theme keywords.
Type: text
Domain: "None" free text
Theme Keyword -- 1.6.1.2
common-use word or phrase used to describe the subject of the data set.
Type: text
Domain: free text
Place -- 1.6.2
geographic locations characterized by the data set. Compound.
Place Keyword Thesaurus -- 1.6.2.1
reference to a formally registered thesaurus or a similar authoritative source of place keywords.
Type: text
Domain: "None" "Geographic Names Information System" free text
Place Keyword -- 1.6.2.2
the geographic name of a location covered by a data set.
Type: text
Domain: free text
Stratum -- 1.6.3
layered, vertical locations characterized by the data set. Compound.
Stratum Keyword Thesaurus -- 1.6.3.1
reference to a formally registered thesaurus or a similar authoritative source of stratum keywords.
Type: text
Domain: "None" free text
Stratum Keyword -- 1.6.3.2
the name of a vertical location used to describe the locations covered by a data set.
Type: text
Domain: free text
Temporal -- 1.6.4
time period(s) characterized by the data set. Compound.
Temporal Keyword Thesaurus -- 1.6.4.1
reference to a formally registered thesaurus or a similar authoritative source of temporal keywords.
Type: text
Domain: "None" free text
Temporal Keyword -- 1.6.4.2
the name of a time period covered by a data set.
Type: text
Domain: free text
Access Constraints -- 1.7
restrictions and legal prerequisites for accessing the data set. These include any access constraints applied to assure the protection of privacy or intellectual property, and any special restrictions or limitations on obtaining the data set.
Type: text
Domain: "None" free text
Use Constraints -- 1.8
restrictions and legal prerequisites for using the data set after access is granted. These include any access constraints applied to assure the protection of privacy or intellectual property, and any special restrictions or limitations on obtaining the data set.
Type: text
Domain: "None" free text
Point of Contact -- 1.9
contact information for an individual or organization that is knowledgeable about the data set. Compound.
Contact_Information -- (10)
Browse Graphic -- 1.10
a graphic that provides an illustration of the data set. The graphic should include a legend for interpreting the graphic. Compound.
Browse Graphic File Name -- 1.10.1
name of a related graphic file that provides an illustration of the data set.
Type: text
Domain: free text
Browse Graphic File Description -- 1.10.2
a text description of the illustration.
Type: text
Domain: free text
Browse Graphic File Type -- 1.10.3
graphic file type of a related graphic file.
Type: text
Domain: domain values in the table below; free text
"CGM"
Computer Graphics Metafile
"EPS"
Encapsulated Postscript format
"GIF"
Graphic Interchange Format
"JPEG"
Joint Photographic Experts Group format
"PBM"
Portable Bit Map format
"PS"
Postscript format
"TIFF"
Tagged Image File Format
"XWD"
X-Windows Dump
Data Set Credit -- 1.11
recognition of those who contributed to the data set.
Type: text
Domain: free text
Security Information -- 1.12
handling restrictions imposed on the data set because of national security, privacy, or other concerns. Compound.
Security Classification System -- 1.12.1
name of the classification system.
Type: text
Domain: free text
Security Classification -- 1.12.2
name of the handling restrictions on the data set.
Type: text
Domain: "Top secret" "Secret" "Confidential" "Restricted" "Unclassified" "Sensitive" free text
Security Handling Description -- 1.12.3
additional information about the restrictions on handling the data set.
Type: text
Domain: free text
Native Data Set Environment -- 1.13
a description of the data set in the producer's processing environment, including items such as the name of the software (including version), the computer operating system, file name (including host-, path-, and filenames), and the data set size.
Type: text
Domain: free text
Cross Reference -- 1.14
information about other, related data sets that are likely to be of interest. Compound.
Citation_Information -- (8)
USGS tools and info for formal metadata
This page is http://geology.usgs.gov/tools/metadata/standard/
Maintained by Peter Schweitzer
Last updated 20-Jul-1998