|     Home     |     Portfolio     |     Resume     |     Photos     |

Lesson 2: Understanding and Producing Metadata

Jim Kompanek

Introduction

Metadata plays an important, yet underutilized role in GIS. The purpose of Lesson 2 is to discuss the importance of metadata and metadata standards and to learn different methods of producing and documenting it.

National Map Metadata

The layer of the National Map I chose to explore was that of the "County Boundaries of the United States." This layer uses Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) compliant metadata (version FGDC-STD-001-1998). Presumably, FGDC was chosen because the data was produced for the federal government. According to Lesson 2 data, the FGDC standard is required for all U.S. federal government departments. According to the provided metadata, the appropriate scale of the layer is 1:2,000,000, as it was derived from state boundary digital line graphs produced by the USGS. The purpose of the data is for "geographic display and analysis at the national level, and for large regional areas" which has a date range between 1927 and 2001 and was produced in June 2006. According to its metadata, "[t]he map layer was checked for topological consistency using the Arc/INFO command BUILD [and] no other checks for logical consistency were performed on this map layer." The complete metadata was pulled from the National Map (USGS 2007) is posted below and summarized in table 1:

Table 1. Summary of metadata for the National Map layer.

Standard FGDC
Scale The data should be displayed and analyzed at scales appropriate for 1:2,000,000-scale data.
Purpose This map layer portrays the State and county boundaries of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Date June 2006
Data Quality The map layer was checked for topological consistency using the Arc/INFO command BUILD. No other checks for logical consistency were performed on this map layer.

 

County Boundaries of the United States, 2001

Metadata:
    Identification_Information
    Data_Quality_Information
    Spatial_Data_Organization_Information
    Spatial_Reference_Information
    Entity_and_Attribute_Information
    Distribution_Information
    Metadata_Reference_Information

Identification_Information:
Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator: National Atlas of the United States
Publication_Date: 200506
Title: County Boundaries of the United States, 2001
Publication_Information:
Publication_Place: Reston, VA
Publisher: National Atlas of the United States
Online_Linkage: <http://nationalatlas.gov/atlasftp.html>
Description:
Abstract:
This map layer portrays the State and county boundaries of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The map layer was created by extracting county polygon features from the individual 1:2,000,000-scale State boundary Digital Line Graph (DLG) files produced by the U.S. Geological Survey. These files were then merged into a single file. This is a revised version of the November 2004 map layer.
Purpose:
These data are intended for geographic display and analysis at the national level, and for large regional areas. The data should be displayed and analyzed at scales appropriate for 1:2,000,000-scale data. No responsibility is assumed by the National Atlas of the United States in the use of these data.
Time_Period_of_Content:
Time_Period_Information:
Range_of_Dates/Times:
Beginning_Date: 1972
Ending_Date: 2001
Currentness_Reference: Ground condition
Status:
Progress: Complete
Maintenance_and_Update_Frequency: Irregular
Spatial_Domain:
Bounding_Coordinates:
West_Bounding_Coordinate: 170
East_Bounding_Coordinate: -64
North_Bounding_Coordinate: 72
South_Bounding_Coordinate: 17
Keywords:
Theme:
Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: ISO 19115 Topic Category
Theme_Keyword: Boundaries
Theme:
Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
Theme_Keyword: Boundaries
Theme_Keyword: States
Theme_Keyword: State boundaries
Theme_Keyword: Counties
Theme_Keyword: County boundaries
Place:
Place_Keyword_Thesaurus:
U.S. Department of Commerce, 1995, Countries, Dependencies, Areas of Special Sovereignty, and Their Principal Administrative Divisions (Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 10-4): Washington, DC, National Institute of Standards and Technology.
Place_Keyword: United States
Place:
Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
Place_Keyword: USA
Place:
Place_Keyword_Thesaurus:
U.S. Department of Commerce, 1987, Codes for the Identification of the States, the District of Columbia and the Outlying Areas of The United States, and Associated Areas (Federal Information Processing Standard 5-2): Washington, DC, National Institute of Standards and Technology.
Place_Keyword: Alabama
Place_Keyword: Alaska
Place_Keyword: Arizona
Place_Keyword: Arkansas
Place_Keyword: California
Place_Keyword: Colorado
Place_Keyword: Connecticut
Place_Keyword: Delaware
Place_Keyword: District of Columbia
Place_Keyword: Florida
Place_Keyword: Georgia
Place_Keyword: Hawaii
Place_Keyword: Idaho
Place_Keyword: Illinois
Place_Keyword: Indiana
Place_Keyword: Iowa
Place_Keyword: Kansas
Place_Keyword: Kentucky
Place_Keyword: Louisiana
Place_Keyword: Maine
Place_Keyword: Maryland
Place_Keyword: Massachusetts
Place_Keyword: Michigan
Place_Keyword: Minnesota
Place_Keyword: Mississippi
Place_Keyword: Missouri
Place_Keyword: Montana
Place_Keyword: Nebraska
Place_Keyword: Nevada
Place_Keyword: New Hampshire
Place_Keyword: New Jersey
Place_Keyword: New Mexico
Place_Keyword: New York
Place_Keyword: North Carolina
Place_Keyword: North Dakota
Place_Keyword: Ohio
Place_Keyword: Oklahoma
Place_Keyword: Oregon
Place_Keyword: Pennsylvania
Place_Keyword: Rhode Island
Place_Keyword: South Carolina
Place_Keyword: South Dakota
Place_Keyword: Tennessee
Place_Keyword: Texas
Place_Keyword: Utah
Place_Keyword: Vermont
Place_Keyword: Virginia
Place_Keyword: Washington
Place_Keyword: West Virginia
Place_Keyword: Wisconsin
Place_Keyword: Wyoming
Place_Keyword: Puerto Rico
Place_Keyword: Virgin Islands
Place_Keyword: U.S. Virgin Islands
Access_Constraints: None
Use_Constraints:
None. Acknowledgment of the National Atlas of the United States of America would be appreciated in products derived from these data.
Point_of_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Person_Primary:
Contact_Person: Woodley Chu
Contact_Organization: National Atlas of the United States
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: Mailing address
Address: 12201 Sunrise Valley Dr
Address: MS 561
City: Reston
State_or_Province: VA
Postal_Code: 20192
Contact_Voice_Telephone: 703-648-6375
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: atlasmail@usgs.gov
Data_Quality_Information:
Logical_Consistency_Report:
The map layer was checked for topological consistency using the Arc/INFO command BUILD. No other checks for logical consistency were performed on this map layer.
Completeness_Report:
This map layer includes county boundaries for all 50 States, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Data completeness generally reflects the content of the original DLG files.
Lineage:
Source_Information:
Source_Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator: U.S. Geological Survey
Publication_Date: 1995
Title: 1:2,000,000-scale Digital Line Graph Data - Boundaries
Publication_Information:
Publication_Place: Reston, VA
Publisher: U.S. Geological Survey
Source_Scale_Denominator: 2000000
Type_of_Source_Media: CD-ROM
Source_Time_Period_of_Content:
Time_Period_Information:
Range_of_Dates/Times:
Beginning_Date: 1970
Ending_Date: 1995
Source_Currentness_Reference: Ground condition
Source_Citation_Abbreviation: 2MILBD
Source_Contribution: Spatial and attribute information
Source_Information:
Source_Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator: National Atlas of the United States
Publication_Date: 1998
Title: County Boundaries of the United States
Publication_Information:
Publication_Place: Reston, VA
Publisher: National Atlas of the United States
Source_Scale_Denominator: 2000000
Type_of_Source_Media: Online
Source_Time_Period_of_Content:
Time_Period_Information:
Single_Date/Time:
Calendar_Date: 1998
Source_Currentness_Reference: Publication date
Source_Citation_Abbreviation: ATLAS-CNTY98
Source_Contribution: Spatial and attribute information
Source_Information:
Source_Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator: National Atlas of the United States
Publication_Date: 1999
Title: Hydrography Features of the United States
Publication_Information:
Publication_Place: Reston, VA
Publisher: National Atlas of the United States
Source_Scale_Denominator: 2000000
Type_of_Source_Media: Online
Source_Time_Period_of_Content:
Time_Period_Information:
Single_Date/Time:
Calendar_Date: 1999
Source_Currentness_Reference: Publication date
Source_Citation_Abbreviation: ATLAS-HY9903
Source_Contribution: Spatial information
Source_Information:
Source_Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator: National Atlas of the United States
Publication_Date: 19990326
Title: County Boundaries of the United States
Publication_Information:
Publication_Place: Reston, VA
Publisher: National Atlas of the United States
Source_Scale_Denominator: 2000000
Type_of_Source_Media: Online
Source_Time_Period_of_Content:
Time_Period_Information:
Single_Date/Time:
Calendar_Date: 1999
Source_Currentness_Reference: Publication date
Source_Citation_Abbreviation: ATLAS-CNTY9903
Source_Contribution: Spatial and attribute information
Source_Information:
Source_Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator: U.S. Geological Survey
Publication_Date: Unknown
Title: 1:100,000-scale USGS topographic maps
Publication_Information:
Publication_Place: Reston, VA
Publisher: U.S. Geological Survey
Source_Scale_Denominator: 100000
Type_of_Source_Media: Paper
Source_Time_Period_of_Content:
Time_Period_Information:
Single_Date/Time:
Calendar_Date: Unknown
Source_Currentness_Reference: Publication date
Source_Citation_Abbreviation: 1:100,000-scale base maps
Source_Contribution: Spatial and attribute information
Source_Information:
Source_Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator: U.S. Geological Survey
Publication_Date: 1999
Title: Geographic Names Information System
Publication_Information:
Publication_Place: Reston, VA
Publisher: U.S. Geological Survey
Type_of_Source_Media: Online
Source_Time_Period_of_Content:
Time_Period_Information:
Single_Date/Time:
Calendar_Date: 1999
Source_Currentness_Reference: Publication date
Source_Citation_Abbreviation: Geographic Names Information System
Source_Contribution: Attribute information
Source_Information:
Source_Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator: National Atlas of the United States
Publication_Date: 199911
Title: County Boundaries of the United States
Publication_Information:
Publication_Place: Reston, VA
Publisher: National Atlas of the United States
Source_Scale_Denominator: 2000000
Type_of_Source_Media: Online
Source_Time_Period_of_Content:
Time_Period_Information:
Single_Date/Time:
Calendar_Date: 199911
Source_Currentness_Reference: Publication date
Source_Citation_Abbreviation: ATLAS-CNTY9911
Source_Contribution: Spatial and attribute information
Source_Information:
Source_Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator: National Atlas of the United States
Publication_Date: 200102
Title: County Boundaries of the United States
Publication_Information:
Publication_Place: Reston, VA
Publisher: National Atlas of the United States
Source_Scale_Denominator: 2000000
Type_of_Source_Media: Online
Source_Time_Period_of_Content:
Time_Period_Information:
Single_Date/Time:
Calendar_Date: 200102
Source_Currentness_Reference: Publication date
Source_Citation_Abbreviation: ATLAS-CNTY0102
Source_Contribution: Spatial and attribute information
Source_Information:
Source_Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator: City and County of Broomfield, CO
Publication_Date: Unpublished material
Title: County Boundary
Type_of_Source_Media: Electronic mail system
Source_Time_Period_of_Content:
Time_Period_Information:
Single_Date/Time:
Calendar_Date: 20011115
Source_Currentness_Reference: Ground condition
Source_Citation_Abbreviation: BROOM
Source_Contribution: Spatial and attribute information
Source_Information:
Source_Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator: Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Geography Division
Publication_Date: 200001
Title: 2000 County and County Equivalent Areas
Publication_Information:
Publication_Place: Washington, DC
Publisher: Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Geography Division
Online_Linkage: <http://www.census.gov/geo/www/cob/co2000.html>
Type_of_Source_Media: Online
Source_Time_Period_of_Content:
Time_Period_Information:
Single_Date/Time:
Calendar_Date: 200001
Source_Currentness_Reference: Publication date
Source_Citation_Abbreviation: CO99_D00
Source_Contribution: Spatial information
Source_Information:
Source_Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator: National Atlas of the United States
Publication_Date: 200202
Title: County Boundaries of the United States
Publication_Information:
Publication_Place: Reston, VA
Publisher: National Atlas of the United States
Source_Scale_Denominator: 2000000
Type_of_Source_Media: Online
Source_Time_Period_of_Content:
Time_Period_Information:
Single_Date/Time:
Calendar_Date: 200202
Source_Currentness_Reference: Publication date
Source_Citation_Abbreviation: ATLAS-CNTY0202
Source_Contribution: Spatial and attribute information
Source_Information:
Source_Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator: National Atlas of the United States
Publication_Date: 200207
Title: County Boundaries of the United States
Publication_Information:
Publication_Place: Reston, VA
Publisher: National Atlas of the United States
Source_Scale_Denominator: 2000000
Type_of_Source_Media: Online
Source_Time_Period_of_Content:
Time_Period_Information:
Single_Date/Time:
Calendar_Date: 200202
Source_Currentness_Reference: Publication date
Source_Citation_Abbreviation: ATLAS-CNTY0207
Source_Contribution: Spatial and attribute information
Source_Information:
Source_Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator:
National Institute of Standands and Technology, Information Technology Laboratory
Publication_Date: 19900831
Title:
Federal Information Processing Standard 6-4 (FIPS 6-4), Counties and Equivalent Entities of the United States, Its Possessions, and Associated Areas, 1990 August 31
Publication_Information:
Publication_Place: Gaithersburg, MD
Publisher:
National Institute of Standands and Technology, Information Technology Laboratory
Online_Linkage: <http://www.itl.nist.gov/fipspubs/fip6-4.htm>
Type_of_Source_Media: Online
Source_Time_Period_of_Content:
Time_Period_Information:
Single_Date/Time:
Calendar_Date: 20020510
Source_Currentness_Reference: Publication date
Source_Citation_Abbreviation: FIPS_DOC
Source_Contribution: Spatial information
Source_Information:
Source_Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator: National Atlas of the United States
Publication_Date: 200208
Title: County Boundaries of the United States
Publication_Information:
Publication_Place: Reston, VA
Publisher: National Atlas of the United States
Source_Scale_Denominator: 2000000
Type_of_Source_Media: Online
Source_Time_Period_of_Content:
Time_Period_Information:
Single_Date/Time:
Calendar_Date: 200202
Source_Currentness_Reference: Publication date
Source_Citation_Abbreviation: ATLAS-CNTY0208
Source_Contribution: Spatial and attribute information
Source_Information:
Source_Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator: U.S. Geological Survey
Publication_Date: 2004
Title: Geographic Names Information System
Publication_Information:
Publication_Place: Reston, VA
Publisher: U.S. Geological Survey
Type_of_Source_Media: Online
Source_Time_Period_of_Content:
Time_Period_Information:
Single_Date/Time:
Calendar_Date: 2004
Source_Currentness_Reference: Publication date
Source_Citation_Abbreviation: GNIS04
Source_Contribution: Attribute information
Source_Information:
Source_Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator: National Atlas of the United States
Publication_Date: 200411
Title: County Boundaries of the United States
Publication_Information:
Publication_Place: Reston, VA
Publisher: National Atlas of the United States
Source_Scale_Denominator: 2000000
Type_of_Source_Media: Online
Source_Time_Period_of_Content:
Time_Period_Information:
Single_Date/Time:
Calendar_Date: 200411
Source_Currentness_Reference: Publication date
Source_Citation_Abbreviation: ATLAS-CNTY0411
Source_Contribution: Spatial and attribute information
Source_Information:
Source_Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator: U.S. Geological Survey
Publication_Date: 2005
Title: Geographic Names Information System
Publication_Information:
Publication_Place: Reston, VA
Publisher: U.S. Geological Survey
Type_of_Source_Media: Online
Source_Time_Period_of_Content:
Time_Period_Information:
Single_Date/Time:
Calendar_Date: 2005
Source_Currentness_Reference: Publication date
Source_Citation_Abbreviation: GNIS05
Source_Contribution: Attribute information
Source_Information:
Source_Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator: National Atlas of the United States
Publication_Date: 200301
Title: Streams and Waterbodies of the United States
Publication_Information:
Publication_Place: Reston, VA
Publisher: National Atlas of the United States
Source_Scale_Denominator: 2000000
Type_of_Source_Media: Online
Source_Time_Period_of_Content:
Time_Period_Information:
Single_Date/Time:
Calendar_Date: 200301
Source_Currentness_Reference: Publication date
Source_Citation_Abbreviation: ATLAS-hydro
Source_Contribution: Spatial and attribute information
Process_Step:
Process_Description:
The 2MILBD data files were originally digitized by the National Mapping Division based on the sectional maps contained in 'The National Atlas of the United States of America' published by the USGS in 1970. The sectional maps were updated during 1978-1981 and digitized in the early 1980's. The data were updated again in the early 1990's by the USGS and published on CD-ROM in 1995 as State DLGs. Using Arc/INFO software, the updated DLG optional-format files were converted to Arc/INFO coverages using the DLGARC command. Only county boundaries and attribute information were extracted from the boundaries DLG layer for inclusion in this national coverage. The county boundary lines that crossed open water were excluded for graphic purposes and polygons that represented islands were attributed with the appropriate county information. The individual State coverages were then merged together using the Arc/INFO command MAPJOIN. "Slivers" created during the MAPJOIN process were identified and deleted using the ELIMINATE command. In 1998, the delineation of the boundary of Mojave County, AZ was corrected. Minor modifications were also made to boundaries in Alaska.
Source_Used_Citation_Abbreviation: 2MILBD
Process_Date: 1998
Source_Produced_Citation_Abbreviation: ATLAS-CNTY98
Process_Step:
Process_Description:
The spatial features were compared against the National Atlas hydrography layer (ATLAS-HY9903) and modified where necessary. Incorrect attributes were corrected. Yellowstone County was deleted and the boundaries for Gallatin and Park Counties were adjusted to absorb the area of Yellowstone National Park. Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands were added.
Source_Used_Citation_Abbreviation: ATLAS-HY9903
Source_Used_Citation_Abbreviation: ATLAS-CNTY98
Source_Used_Citation_Abbreviation: 2MILBD
Process_Date: 199903
Source_Produced_Citation_Abbreviation: ATLAS-CNTY9903
Process_Step:
Process_Description:
Several boundary adjustments were made to counties in Alaska, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, and Virginia. Dade County, Florida was changed to Miami-Dade County and the FIPS code was changed to 12086.
Source_Used_Citation_Abbreviation: ATLAS-CNTY9903
Source_Used_Citation_Abbreviation: 1:100,000-scale base maps
Source_Used_Citation_Abbreviation: Geographic Names Information System
Process_Date: 199911
Source_Produced_Citation_Abbreviation: ATLAS-CNTY9911
Process_Step:
Process_Description:
The county name was corrected for the Grass Cay and Mingo Cay polygons in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The State field was changed from names to two-character abbreviations, and a field for State FIPS was added.
Source_Used_Citation_Abbreviation: ATLAS-CNTY9911
Process_Date: 200102
Source_Produced_Citation_Abbreviation: ATLAS-CNTY0102
Process_Step:
Process_Description:
The newly formed City and County of Broomfield, Colorado was added to the map layer.
Source_Used_Citation_Abbreviation: ATLAS-CNTY0102
Source_Used_Citation_Abbreviation: BROOM
Process_Date: 200112
Process_Step:
Process_Description:
The boundary of Juneau Borough, Alaska was modified to include approximately 61,000 acres of northern Admiralty Island. Data from the Census Bureau's county boundary file of Alaska was extracted and generalized to a scale of 1:2,000,000. The boundary of Denver County, Colorado was modified to include the area occupied by Denver International Airport. Additional minor corrections were made to Denver County and Adams County. All corrections were made using data from the Census Bureau's county boundary file of Colorado.

Finally, county attribution was removed from the Niagara River between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie.

Source_Used_Citation_Abbreviation: CO99_D00
Source_Used_Citation_Abbreviation: ATLAS-CNTY0102
Process_Date: 200201
Source_Produced_Citation_Abbreviation: ATLAS-CNTY0202
Process_Step:
Process_Description:
Boundary adjustments were made between the following counties or county equivalents: 
1) Navajo and Coconino in Arizona
2) Tuolumne and Mono in California
3) Lake and Chaffee in Colorado
4) Gulf and Franklin in Florida
5) Plaquemines Parish and Jefferson Parish in Louisiana
6) Mora and Taos in New Mexico
7) Otero and Chaves in New Mexico
8) Canovanas Municipio and Loiza Municipio in Puerto Rico
9) Tipton and Shelby in Tennesee
10) Loving and Winkler in Texas
11) Pecos and Terrell in Texas
12) Kerr and Bandera in Texas
13) Real and Bandera in Texas
14) San Patricio and Nueces in Texas
15) Sanpete and Jab in Utah
16) Harrisonburg City and Rockingham County in Virginia
17) Staunton City and Augusta County in Virginia
18) Lynchburg City and Campbell County in Virginia
19) Danville City and Pittsylvania County in Virginia

Numerous additional minor boundary adjustments were made throughout the country. In Puerto Rico, Florida Municipio was added and an offshore island was added to Ponce Municipio. A extra polygon within Vega Baja Municipio was merged with the rest of the municipio.

An attribute containing the area in square miles for the county was added. It was calculated by summing values in the area field for each county, which is in square meters, and multiplying the results by 0.0000003681.

Source_Used_Citation_Abbreviation: 1:100,000-scale base maps
Source_Used_Citation_Abbreviation: CO99_D00
Source_Used_Citation_Abbreviation: ATLAS-CNTY0202
Process_Date: 200207
Source_Produced_Citation_Abbreviation: ATLAS-CNTY0207
Process_Step:
Process_Description:
According to the change notice in FIPS_DOC, the independent city (county-equivalent) of Clifton Forge, Virginia, was reverted to town status and is an incorporated place within Alleghany County. Clifton Forge, Virginia (FIPS code 560) was deleted. The FIPS county code of 005 for Alleghany County did not change.
Source_Used_Citation_Abbreviation: ATLAS-CNTY0207
Source_Used_Citation_Abbreviation: FIPS_DOC
Process_Date: 200208
Source_Produced_Citation_Abbreviation: ATLAS-CNTY0208
Process_Step:
Process_Description:
The following county names were edited based on the GNIS database: DeBaca NM, DeKalb AL, DeKalb GA, DeKalb IL, DeKalb MO, DeKalb TN, DeSoto FL, DeSoto MS, DeWitt TX, DuPage IL, LaMoure ND, Saint Mary's MD
Source_Used_Citation_Abbreviation: ATLAS-CNTY0208
Source_Used_Citation_Abbreviation: GNIS04
Process_Date: 200411
Source_Produced_Citation_Abbreviation: ATLAS-CNTY0411
Process_Step:
Process_Description:
Maryland's Queen Anne's County had the apostrophe added where missing and the following county names in Alaska were edited based on the GNIS database: Anchorage Municipality, Juneau City and Borough, Sitka City and Borough, Yakutat City and Borough. In addition, two line segments along the Texas/Mexico border were modified to align to ATLAS-hydro.
Source_Used_Citation_Abbreviation: ATLAS-CNTY0411
Source_Used_Citation_Abbreviation: GNIS05
Source_Used_Citation_Abbreviation: ATLAS-hydro
Process_Date: 200505
Spatial_Data_Organization_Information:
Indirect_Spatial_Reference:
U.S. Department of Commerce, 1987, Codes for the Identification of the States, the District of Columbia and the Outlying Areas of the United States, and Associated Areas (FIPS 5-2): Washington, DC, National Institute of Standards and Technology.

U.S. Department of Commerce, 1990, Counties and Equivalent Entities of the United States, Its Possessions, and Associated Areas (FIPS 6-4): Washington, DC, National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Direct_Spatial_Reference_Method: Vector
Point_and_Vector_Object_Information:
SDTS_Terms_Description:
SDTS_Point_and_Vector_Object_Type: GT-polygon composed of chains
Point_and_Vector_Object_Count: 6138
Spatial_Reference_Information:
Horizontal_Coordinate_System_Definition:
Geographic:
Latitude_Resolution: 0.000278
Longitude_Resolution: 0.000278
Geographic_Coordinate_Units: Decimal degrees
Geodetic_Model:
Horizontal_Datum_Name: North American Datum of 1983
Ellipsoid_Name: GRS1980
Semi-major_Axis: 6378137
Denominator_of_Flattening_Ratio: 298.257222
Entity_and_Attribute_Information:
Detailed_Description:
Entity_Type:
Entity_Type_Label: County (described by Countyp020.dbf)
Entity_Type_Definition:
The second order division of a nation, such as a parish, borough, municipio, judicial division, and independent cities in Maryland, Missouri, Nevada, and Virginia.
Entity_Type_Definition_Source: National Atlas of the United States
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: Shape
Attribute_Definition: The representation of the entity in the data.
Attribute_Definition_Source: National Atlas of the United States
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Enumerated_Domain:
Enumerated_Domain_Value: Polygon
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: 2-dimensional element
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: ESRI GIS software
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: Area
Attribute_Definition:
The size of the shape in coverage units. In the distributed file, coverage units represent square decimal degrees.
Attribute_Definition_Source: National Atlas of the United States
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Range_Domain:
Range_Domain_Minimum: 0.000
Range_Domain_Maximum: 73.832
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: Perimeter
Attribute_Definition:
The perimeter of the shape in coverage units. In the distributed file, coverage units represent decimal degrees.
Attribute_Definition_Source: National Atlas of the United States
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Range_Domain:
Range_Domain_Minimum: 0.010
Range_Domain_Maximum: 87.571
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: Countyp020
Attribute_Definition: Internal feature number.
Attribute_Definition_Source: National Atlas of the United States
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Range_Domain:
Range_Domain_Minimum: 2
Range_Domain_Maximum: 6139
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: State
Attribute_Definition:
The two-character abbreviation for the name of the State or State equivalent in which the county is located.
Attribute_Definition_Source: National Atlas of the United States
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Codeset_Domain:
Codeset_Name:
Codes for the Identification of the States, the District of Columbia and the Outlying Areas of the United States, and Associated Areas; (Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 5-2): Washington, DC, National Institute of Standards and Technology.
Codeset_Source: U.S. Department of Commerce
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: County
Attribute_Definition: The name of the county or county equivalent.
Attribute_Definition_Source: National Atlas of the United States
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Codeset_Domain:
Codeset_Name:
Counties and Equivalent Entities of the United States, Its Possessions, and Associated Areas; (Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 6-4): Washington, DC, National Institute of Standards and Technology.
Codeset_Source: U.S. Department of Commerce
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Enumerated_Domain:
Enumerated_Domain_Value: <blank>
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition:
Water areas of the United States for which a county designation is not reported.
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: National Atlas of the United States
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: Fips
Attribute_Definition:
The 5-digit FIPS code of the county or county equivalent. Codes ending in 000 indicate water areas for which a county designation is not reported.
Attribute_Definition_Source: National Atlas of the United States
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Codeset_Domain:
Codeset_Name:
Counties and Equivalent Entities of the United States, Its Possessions, and Associated Areas; (Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 6-4): Washington, DC, National Institute of Standards and Technology.
Codeset_Source: U.S. Department of Commerce
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: State_fips
Attribute_Definition: The 2-digit FIPS code of the State or State equivalent.
Attribute_Definition_Source: National Atlas of the United States
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Codeset_Domain:
Codeset_Name:
Codes for the Identification of the States, the District of Columbia and the Outlying Areas of the United States, and Associated Areas; (Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 5-2): Washington, DC, National Institute of Standards and Technology.
Codeset_Source: U.S. Department of Commerce
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: Square_mil
Attribute_Definition:
The size of the county or county equivalent in square miles. It was calculated by summing values in the area field for each county, which is in square meters, and multiplying the results by 0.0000003681. These values may not match those reported by State or county governments, especially in coastal areas.
Attribute_Definition_Source: National Atlas of the United States
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Range_Domain:
Range_Domain_Minimum: 1.976
Range_Domain_Maximum: 146099.233
Distribution_Information:
Distributor:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization: Earth Science Information Center, U.S. Geological Survey
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: Mailing address
Address: 507 National Center
City: Reston
State_or_Province: VA
Postal_Code: 20192
Contact_Voice_Telephone: 1-888-ASK-USGS (1-888-275-8747)
Contact_Voice_Telephone: 703-648-5920
Contact_Instructions:
In addition to the address above there are other ESIC offices throughout the country. A full list of these offices is at <http://geography.usgs.gov/esic/esic_index.html>.
Distribution_Liability:
Although these data have been processed successfully on a computer system at the U.S. Geological Survey, no warranty expressed or implied is made by the U.S. Geological Survey regarding the utility of the data on any other system, nor shall the act of distribution constitute any such warranty. No responsibility is assumed by the U.S. Geological Survey in the use of these data.
Standard_Order_Process:
Digital_Form:
Digital_Transfer_Information:
Format_Name: ESRI Shapefile
Digital_Transfer_Option:
Online_Option:
Computer_Contact_Information:
Network_Address:
Network_Resource_Name: <http://nationalatlas.gov/atlasftp.html>
Digital_Form:
Digital_Transfer_Information:
Format_Name: SDTS
Digital_Transfer_Option:
Online_Option:
Computer_Contact_Information:
Network_Address:
Network_Resource_Name: <http://nationalatlas.gov/atlasftp.html>
Fees: There is no charge for the map layer.
Metadata_Reference_Information:
Metadata_Date: 20050602
Metadata_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Person_Primary:
Contact_Person: Peg Rawson
Contact_Organization: National Atlas of the United States
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: Mailing address
Address: 12201 Sunrise Valley Dr
Address: MS 561
City: Reston
State_or_Province: VA
Postal_Code: 20192
Contact_Voice_Telephone: 703-648-4183
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: atlasmail@usgs.gov
Metadata_Standard_Name: FGDC Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata
Metadata_Standard_Version: FGDC-STD-001-1998
Metadata_Security_Information:
Metadata_Security_Classification_System: None
Metadata_Security_Classification: Unclassified
Metadata_Security_Handling_Description: None

Status of Metadata from Lesson 1

According to the metadata provided for the layers in Lesson 1 (prior to updating the metadata for Lesson 2), each of the datasets were based on FGDC Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata but were generally missing at least one required element. Although each of the layers provided in Lesson 1 do provide a significant amount of information, upon closer inspection, none of the layers appeared to comply with the FGDC standards. In Lesson 2, the layers were updated with additional information, with the parcels layer in FGDC, and the roads layer in ISO. Below is a summary of the missing information prior to being updated.

bldgpts_cl missing information:

The bldgpts_cl layer was missing metadata information relating to keywords and reference information.

Keywords:
Theme:
Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: REQUIRED: Reference to a formally registered thesaurus or a similar authoritative source of theme keywords.
Theme_Keyword: REQUIRED: Common-use word or phrase used to describe the subject of the data set.
 
Metadata_Reference_Information:
Metadata_Date: 20070425
Metadata_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization: REQUIRED: The organization responsible for the metadata information.
Contact_Person: REQUIRED: The person responsible for the metadata information.
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: REQUIRED: The mailing and/or physical address for the organization or individual.
City: REQUIRED: The city of the address.
State_or_Province: REQUIRED: The state or province of the address.
Postal_Code: REQUIRED: The ZIP or other postal code of the address.
Contact_Voice_Telephone: REQUIRED: The telephone number by which individuals can speak to the organization or individual.

building_cl missing information:

This was generally complete and came the closest to conforming with FGDC but was missing required keywords.

Keywords:
Theme:
Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: REQUIRED: Reference to a formally registered thesaurus or a similar authoritative source of theme keywords.
Theme_Keyword: REQUIRED: Common-use word or phrase used to describe the subject of the data set.

parcels_cl missing information:

The parcels_cl layer was missing the most required metadata of the layers examined for Lesson 1.

Identification_Information:
Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator: REQUIRED: The name of an organization or individual that developed the data set.
Publication_Date: REQUIRED: The date when the data set is published or otherwise made available for release.
Title:
parcels_cl
Description:
Abstract:
REQUIRED: A brief narrative summary of the data set.
Purpose:
REQUIRED: A summary of the intentions with which the data set was developed.
Time_Period_of_Content:
Time_Period_Information:
Single_Date/Time:
Calendar_Date: REQUIRED: The year (and optionally month, or month and day) for which the data set corresponds to the ground.
Status:
Progress: REQUIRED: The state of the data set.
Maintenance_and_Update_Frequency: REQUIRED: The frequency with which changes and additions are made to the data set after the initial data set is completed.
 
Currentness_Reference:
REQUIRED: The basis on which the time period of content information is determined.
Keywords:
Theme:
Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: REQUIRED: Reference to a formally registered thesaurus or a similar authoritative source of theme keywords.
Theme_Keyword: REQUIRED: Common-use word or phrase used to describe the subject of the data set.
Access_Constraints: REQUIRED: Restrictions and legal prerequisites for accessing the data set.
 
Use_Constraints:
REQUIRED: Restrictions and legal prerequisites for using the data set after access is granted.
 
Metadata_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization: REQUIRED: The organization responsible for the metadata information.
Contact_Person: REQUIRED: The person responsible for the metadata information.
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: REQUIRED: The mailing and/or physical address for the organization or individual.
City: REQUIRED: The city of the address.
State_or_Province: REQUIRED: The state or province of the address.
Postal_Code: REQUIRED: The ZIP or other postal code of the address.
Contact_Voice_Telephone: REQUIRED: The telephone number by which individuals can speak to the organization or individual.

streets_cl missing information:

Identification_Information:
Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator: REQUIRED: The name of an organization or individual that developed the data set.
Publication_Date: REQUIRED: The date when the data set is published or otherwise made available for release.
_Period_Information:
Single_Date/Time:
Calendar_Date: REQUIRED: The year (and optionally month, or month and day) for which the data set corresponds to the ground.
 
Currentness_Reference:
REQUIRED: The basis on which the time period of content information is determined.
 
Keywords:
Theme:
Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: REQUIRED: Reference to a formally registered thesaurus or a similar authoritative source of theme keywords.
Theme_Keyword: REQUIRED: Common-use word or phrase used to describe the subject of the data set.
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization: REQUIRED: The organization responsible for the metadata information.
Contact_Person: REQUIRED: The person responsible for the metadata information.
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: REQUIRED: The mailing and/or physical address for the organization or individual.
City: REQUIRED: The city of the address.
State_or_Province: REQUIRED: The state or province of the address.
Postal_Code: REQUIRED: The ZIP or other postal code of the address.
Contact_Voice_Telephone: REQUIRED: The telephone number by which individuals can speak to the organization or individual.

Capstone Project Update

Metadata

Of the data available for the scope of my project, no metadata has been produced. At this point, the data generally consists of location information and an ID field.

Data Dictionary

Although, I have not yet acquired any data for my final project, a complete data dictionary should be published if I plan on freely distributing my research. At the minimum, my data dictionary should provide a detailed description of my database. At this point, it is unclear what attribute fields I may provide but every field should be explained, especially those which use codes. At the very least, it will provide a name, address, and date.

Contact Summary

At this point, four agencies have been contacted, of which two individuals were spoken with (see week 1 for contact information). The State Historic Preservation Office maintains a GIS database of structures on the National Register, and historic structures identified during cultural resource surveys, but unfortunately, no attribute information (outside of name, code, and address) is actually tied to the data, as they still rely on paper forms. It appears that the GIS program is on going and heavily impacted by time and budget. My second contact was at the Preservation Alliance of West Virginia. Although very friendly and helpful, the director I spoke with informed me they had no GIS and really no plans for one. I also, unsuccessfully, attempted to speak with the Historic Preservation Committee for my city. Although I didn't get through with anyone in the organization (they only meet quarterly), the woman I spoke with indicated the committee generally works on individual projects and hasn't undertaken any mapping projects. I was completely unsuccessful at reaching anyone in my county assessor's office.

This document is published in fulfillment of an assignment by a student enrolled in an educational offering of The Pennsylvania State University. The student, named above, retains all rights to the document and responsibility for its accuracy and originality.