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 CSDGM 1994 (superseded)
This document has been superseded.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.

2: Data Quality Information -- a general assessment of the quality of the data set.

Recommendations on information to be reported and tests to be performed are found in "Spatial Data Quality," which is chapter 3 of part 1 in Department of Commerce, 1992, Spatial Data Transfer Standard (SDTS) ( Federal Information Processing Standard 173): Washington, Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Syntax:

Data_Quality_Information =
0{Attribute_Accuracy}1 + Logical_Consistency_Report + Completeness_Report + 0{Positional_Accuracy}1 + Lineage + (Cloud_Cover)
Attribute_Accuracy =
Attribute_Accuracy_Report + (1{Quantitative_Attribute_Accuracy_Assessment}n)
Quantitative_Attribute_Accuracy_Assessment =
Attribute_Accuracy_Value + Attribute_Accuracy_Explanation
Positional_Accuracy =
0{Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy}1 + 0{Vertical_Positional_Accuracy}1
Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy =
Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Report + (1{Quantitative_Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Assessment}n)
Quantitative_Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Assessment =
Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Value + Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Explanation
Vertical_Positional_Accuracy =
Vertical_Positional_Accuracy_Report + (1{Quantitative_Vertical_Positional_Accuracy_Assessment}n)
Quantitative_Vertical_Positional_Accuracy_Assessment =
Vertical_Positional_Accuracy_Value + Vertical_Positional_Accuracy_Explanation
Lineage =
0{Source_Information}n + 1{Process_Step}n
Source_Information =
Source_Citation + 0{Source_Scale_Denominator}1 + Type_of_Source_Media + Source_Time_Period_of_Content + Source_Citation_Abbreviation + Source_Contribution
Source_Citation =
Citation_Information
Source_Time_Period_of_Content =
Time_Period_Information + Source_Currentness_Reference
Process_Step =
Process_Description + 0{Source_Used_Citation_Abbreviation}n + Process_Date + (Process_Time) + 0{Source_Produced_Citation_Abbreviation}n + (Process_Contact)
Process_Contact =
Contact_Information

Semantics

Attribute Accuracy -- 2.1
an assessment of the accuracy of the identification of entities and assignment of attribute values in the data set. Compound.
Attribute Accuracy Report -- 2.1.1
an explanation of the accuracy of the identification of the entities and assignments of values in the data set and a description of the tests used.
Type: text
Domain: free text
Quantitative Attribute Accuracy Assessment -- 2.1.2
a value assigned to summarize the accuracy of the identification of the entities and assignments of values in the data set and the identification of the test that yielded the value. Compound.
Attribute Accuracy Value -- 2.1.2.1
an estimate of the accuracy of the identification of the entities and assignments of attribute values in the data set.
Type: text
Domain: "Unknown" free text
Attribute Accuracy Explanation -- 2.1.2.2
the identification of the test that yielded the Attribute Accuracy Value.
Type: text
Domain: free text
Logical Consistency Report -- 2.2
an explanation of the fidelity of the relationships in the data set and the tests used.
Type: text
Domain: free text
Completeness Report -- 2.3
information about omissions, selection criteria, generalization, definitions used, and other rules used to derive the data set.
Type: text
Domain: free text
Positional Accuracy -- 2.4
an assessment of the accuracy of the positions of spatial objects. Compound.
Horizontal Positional Accuracy -- 2.4.1
an estimate of accuracy of the horizontal positions of the spatial objects. Compound.
Horizontal Positional Accuracy Report -- 2.4.1.1
an explanation of the accuracy of the horizontal coordinate measurements and a description of the tests used.
Type: text
Domain: free text
Quantitative Horizontal Positional Accuracy Assessment -- 2.4.1.2
numeric value assigned to summarize the accuracy of the horizontal coordinate measurements and the identification of the test that yielded the value. Compound.
Horizontal Positional Accuracy Value -- 2.4.1.2.1
an estimate of the accuracy of the horizontal coordinate measurements in the data set expressed in (ground) meters.
Type: real
Domain: free real
Horizontal Positional Accuracy Explanation -- 2.4.1.2.2
the identification of the test that yielded the Horizontal Positional Accuracy Value.
Type: text
Domain: free text
Vertical Positional Accuracy -- 2.4.2
an estimate of accuracy of the vertical positions in the data set. Compound.
Vertical Positional Accuracy Report -- 2.4.2.1
an explanation of the accuracy of the vertical coordinate measurements and a description of the tests used.
Type: text
Domain: free text
Quantitative Vertical Positional Accuracy Assessment -- 2.4.2.2
numeric value assigned to summarize the accuracy of vertical coordinate measurements and the identification of the test that yielded the value. Compound.
Vertical Positional Accuracy Value -- 2.4.2.2.1
an estimate of the accuracy of the vertical coordinate measurement in the data set expressed in (ground) meters.
Type: real
Domain: free real
Vertical Positional Accuracy Explanation -- 2.4.2.2.2
the identification of the test that yielded the Vertical Positional Accuracy Value.
Type: text
Domain: free text
Lineage -- 2.5
information about the events, parameters, and source data which constructed the data set, and information about the responsible parties. Compound.
Source Information -- 2.5.1
list of sources and a short discussion of the information contributed by each. Compound.
Source Citation -- 2.5.1.1
reference for a source data set. Compound.
Citation_Information -- (8)
Source Scale Denominator -- 2.5.1.2
the denominator of the representative fraction on a map (for example, on a 1:24,000-scale map, the Source Scale Denominator is 24000).
Type: integer
Domain: Source Scale Denominator > 1
Type of Source Media -- 2.5.1.3
the medium of the source data set.
Type: text
Domain:
"paper"
"stable-base material"
"microfiche"
"microfilm"
"audiocassette"
"chart"
"filmstrip"
"transparency"
"videocassette"
"videodisc"
"videotape"
"physical model"
"computer program"
"disc"
"cartridge tape"
"magnetic tape"
"online"
"CD-ROM"
"electronic bulletin board"
"electronic mail system"
free text
Source Time Period of Content -- 2.5.1.4
time period(s) for which the source data set corresponds to the ground. Compound.
Time_Period_Information -- (9)
Source Currentness Reference -- 2.5.1.4.1
the basis on which the source time period of content information of the source data set is determined.
Type: text
Domain: "ground condition" "publication date" free text
Source Citation Abbreviation -- 2.5.1.5
short-form alias for the source citation.
Type: text
Domain: free text
Source Contribution -- 2.5.1.6
brief statement identifying the information contributed by the source to the data set.
Type: text
Domain: free text
Process Step -- 2.5.2
information about a single event. Compound.
Process Description -- 2.5.2.1
an explanation of the event and related parameters or tolerances.
Type: text
Domain: free text
Source Used Citation Abbreviation -- 2.5.2.2
the Source Citation Abbreviation of a data set used in the processing step.
Type: text
Domain: Source Citation Abbreviations from the Source Information entries for the data set.
Process Date -- 2.5.2.3
the date when the event was completed.
Type: date
Domain: "Unknown" "Not complete" free date
Process Time -- 2.5.2.4
the time when the event was completed.
Type: time
Domain: free time
Source Produced Citation Abbreviation -- 2.5.2.5
the Source Citation Abbreviation of an intermediate data set that (1) is significant in the opinion of the data producer, (2) is generated in the processing step, and (3) is used in later processing steps.
Type: text
Domain: Source Citation Abbreviations from the Source Information entries for the data set.
Process Contact -- 2.5.2.6
the party responsible for the processing step information. Compound.
Contact_Information -- (10)
Cloud Cover -- 2.6
area of a data set obstructed by clouds, expressed as a percentage of the spatial extent.
Type: integer
Domain: 0 <= Cloud Cover <= 100 "Unknown"
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