The Biological Data Profile, hereafter referred to as "the Profile," is intended to support the collection and processing of biological data sets, regardless of their geospatial or non-geospatial characteristics. The Profile uses all the standard elements in the Federal Geographic Data Committee's (FGDC) Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata (CSDGM). All mandatory elements from the CSDGM must be provided in a metadata document that complies with the Profile. The only exception to this mandate is the element Spatial_Domain, which has been defined as mandatory-if-applicable in the Profile. Under this designation, Spatial_Domain will continue to be a mandatory element if the data set or information product being documented is geospatial. If the data set or information product does not display the characteristic of geospatial extent, the requirement for Spatial_Domain is waived.
The Profile establishes the names of extended data elements and compound elements (groups of data elements) to be used for documenting biological data, the definitions of these extended compound elements and data elements, and information about the values to be provided for the data elements. The Profile also describes any modifications to the optionality (i.e., mandatory, mandatory-if-applicable, and optional) or repeatability of non-mandatory elements, and any modifications to the domains of standard elements in the FGDC CSDGM.
The majority of data elements in this section are mandatory for compliance with the Profile. These elements contain basic identification information about the biological data set you have created. The data set may be one or multiple files; generally, you will document one file at a time. NOTE: Within the Profile, the element "Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form" is defined as mandatory.
In some sections, you will need to choose the option appropriate for your data and delete (if you are using the template) or ignore (if you are using a program) the others. For example, section 1.3, Time Period, has three options for the date(s): Single Date/Time, Multiple Dates/Times, and Range of Dates. This one is simple - you created the data on one day, several days, or over a range of days. If it's one file, it's probably one day. Multiple files (like the Bicknell's thrush data sample) could be many days or a range of days. NOTE: In this example metadata record, all the selections have been left for you to view. In a real metadata file, only the applicable one should be used.
This section is considered mandatory only if it applies to your data. If you choose to use this section, all elements that are mandatory need to be documented to comply with the Profile and to make the FGDC clearinghouse software work properly if the section is used. Several elements in this section are important to the Service and should be documented if possible. NOTE: This paragraph also applies to sections 3, 4, 5, and 6.
Basic notes on data quality are very helpful. Any items you can complete in this section will be useful.
This section can be very simple or very detailed. If the data set or information product is geospatial, we would like to know if the data is point, vector, raster, or some non-referenced data set! If you wish to go beyond that point, the type of file you choose will dictate which other elements are needed.
Again, if the data set or information product is geospatial, this section is applicable. Section 4 is very technical and includes many items geographers may understand but most biologists have never heard of. There are, however, some important basic items here that should be documented if they are relevant to your data.
This section offers some choices depending on your data. You may have geographic data (section 4.1 - lat/long), planar data (section 4.2 - includes UTM and state plane data), or local data (section 4.3 - table inches or some autocad type data). You will choose only one of these elements, but the potential number of choices make the documentation look forbidding. In addition to the horizontal coordinates, some data need the vertical coordinates. It may be river depth data, or perhaps Digital Elevation Model (DEM) or other topographic data. Vertical coordinates are not listed in this example, but are in the base metadata template if needed.
Choose between the Detailed Description and Overview Description elements to document the information content of the data set. Which option you choose will depend on the amount of detail needed to describe the data, or the amount of detail available. If you choose to give an overview description (5.2 ) of a species data set, for example, you should also reference the species classification standard (e.g., Integrated Taxonomic Information System, ITIS) to give users further details about the data. If you choose the detailed description (5.1), provide all details on the entities and attributes of the data set. If the reference is widely available, the overview description with references to other documents is probably easier.
This section provides information on the person or party from whom the data set may be obtained. It also describes the format of the data and the options available for obtaining the data set on computer and non-computer compatible media. Your own circumstances will dictate what gets filled in here. If the distributor is the same as the contact person in Section 7, it could be left out here. Most often, however, they will be different staff or offices. (Hint: If you want to enter the contact information here and in section 1 or 7, and the information is very similar, you can cut and paste in Windows. Just be sure to copy the headings and data for the section.)
Section 7 describes who documented the data, when, and using what type of documentation. This can be important if the data was documented 10 years after it was created, versus as it was created. The quality of the metadata will vary. Several elements in this section are mandatory for the Profile.
This example FWS biological metadata record contains the basic elements needed to comply with the FWS guidelines for minimal metadata documention. The example record includes short notations on what should be entered in the applicable sections.
Elements in lower case, bold italic font are required elements that must be documented to comply with the Profile.
Elements in lower case, bold regular font are required if they are included in a section you are documenting. For example, section 2.5, Lineage, is not mandatory in the Profile but is recommended by the Service. If you choose to complete this section, you will need to complete all the elements in bold italics AND regular bold font (or enter N/A or unknown) to comply with the Profile and related software.
Elements in upper case, BOLD REGULAR font are not required, but are items that will contribute a great deal to the documentation. These elements should be documented for FWS metadata if possible.
There are numerous "compound" elements (groups of data elements) in regular font that appear as general headings and represent higher-level concepts that cannot be represented by individual data elements. These elements do not require an entry, but are needed to run the formal metadata through a compiler to check the syntax against the FGDC Profile and generate output suitable for serving on the Internet and viewing with a web browser or text editor.
Explanatory notes are in regular italics.
For additional information regarding this Web page, contact Barb White, Branch of Data and Systems Services, Division of Information Technology Management
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Keywords=biological, geospatial, data, metadata, elements, standards
Last Modified August 07, 2003 11:25 AM