Metadata Guide

What is Metadata?
Metadata describes a dataset.
What is a data set named? What phenomena does the data represent? Who created it? Who maintains it? Why and when was it created? How accurate is it? If it is distributed and/or sold -- how does one obtain it? What format is it in? In which case(s) is it appropriate for use? Metadata answers these kinds of questions.

What is the Clearinghouse?
The Clearinghouse is a network of internet information servers organized by the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC). The FGDC is comprised of representatives from 15 federal agencies working on development of the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI). The U.S. Geological Survey's Biological Resources Division has a parallel Clearinghouse network, focused on biological data. The National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII) added a "Biological Profile" to FGDC's Metadata Content Standard to produce the NBII Metadata Content Standard. 

As metadata is created and posted to Clearinghouse Nodes such as ours, it is searchable via the main FGDC Geospatial Data Clearinghouse from several entry points from Alaska to the FGDC headquarters in Reston, Virginia. Metadata is locally contributed and locally stored, but globally searchable via the internet! 

The ONRC Clearinghouse
The ONRC Clearinghouse is integrating both geospatial and biological metadata. Therefore, the ONRC Clearinghouse adheres to the Federal Geographic Data Committee's Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata (CSDGM)(FGDC June 1994 Version 1.0, published March 1995). Also, for those biological data sets that apply, the ONRC adopts the USGS Biological Resource Division's National Biological Information Infrastructure Metadata Content Standard with its additions to FGDC Content including Taxonomy, Taxonomic System, Methodology, and Analytical Tool elements. We're working with the WA State Geospatial Clearinghouse to incorporate NBII metadata that we gather at the ONRC Clearinghouse.

Special Note To Contributing Partners
For frequently-requested data you distribute, the Olympic Natural Resources Center can archive your data for you for digital distribution. If this type of service interests you, please contact TZA at ONRC GIS.