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Open Metadata?

TimMinter

Questions for the Open Data Team:

What is the ArcGIS Online Open Data capability's design for delivering metadata along with the data?
Will the ArcGIS Platform help its users publish metadata and data?

Background:
Once upon a time, geodata consumers the world over discovered that they could not confidently use undocumented geodata for... just about anything. Usually, there was a brief Description accompanying the data, but it just did not have enough information on which to base good decisions to use or not to use. They came up with "metadata" which provided the necessary info about the geodata which helped them decide whether or not to use it. And, of course, they standardized back in the day on Federal Geographic Data Committee Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata (whew. FGDC-CSDGM), which was recognized by FGDC as one of several endorsed metadata style choices a few years ago.

At ArcGIS 10.x or so, Esri adjusted their software's method of managing metadata into a pretty cool structure that could be used to store and deliver various standard metadata styles, based on what geodata consumers like or geodata managers have to use due to policies and such. It is cool that the data and metadata are stored and managed together, like a shiny little gift-wrapped package. However, Esri has not (yet?) provided any capability in ArcGIS Server to publish the data and metadata together as a shiny gift-wrapped package in one "it just works" sort of service publishing workflow.

Currently suggested methods of publishing metadata are unlinked from publishing the data, which causes a lot of effort to be expended by a lot of people, repeatedly.

In my opinion, it would quite useful and it would help increase the value proposition of using the ArcGIS Platform if a user or code could make a request to the ArcGIS Server REST API for a layer's metadata, specify the output standard (fgdc, iso, whatever) and format (xml for machines, pretty words for humans), and have the metadata returned. The ArcGIS Online and its Open Data capability could have a little clicky-link on the Item page or Open Data presentation, respectively, that would let a human zoom into the detailed metadata to understand their choice when they decide to use the data.

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Accepted answers

Anonymous User

Hi Tim,

This is a good suggestion and we are currently evaluating workflows to best share standardized metadata. As we work through this across the platform, ArcGIS Open Data would have a way to read/return/search on the metadata. I would be interested in talking to you more if you are available. Please send me a private message with your contact information and a good time to reach you.

Cheers,
Andrew

All comments

Anonymous User

CDPHGIS

I concur that this is hugely important. It is probably one of the most fundamental and useful processes that result from an organization's gearing up to make their data public. Esri has been at it for a while, and should not drop the ball with this platform; this might be an opportunity to make metadata more useful and conforming throughout all product lines.

TimMinter

Hey, so I notice that when I click on a dataset, the About section has a "Metadata" link that jumps to the item description. This can provide a workaround for me until Esri can complete integration of metadata management and delivery across the ArcGIS Platform.

Initially, I'm working around by using ArcGIS Desktop to export the metadata to FGDC XML (still our state's standard), zipping the XML file, then adding it as an item of type Code sample (other) to ArcGIS Online. Once that's done, and I share the item to Everyone, I can string up a direct request to the metadata like this:

http://www.arcgis.com/sharing/rest/content/items/<item id>/data

I just stick that link into my feature service item description, and suddenly metadata is "available". Not the cleanest or most pleasant, but it works for us for now.

tim

CDPHGIS

Thanks, Tim; that's a good interim solution. I was doing something similar, but I like your idea better as it ties the AGOL/OD version of the metadata more closely to the desktop version. Silly to have so many versions of metadata, so I am really hoping Esri can integrate that function more fully across their products.

CDPHGIS

I want to add my support to this concept yet again. This is an unparalleled opportunity to provide real value with our data.

TimMinter

Andrew Stauffer‌, I notice that "GeoNet Admin" has marked your answer as correct, which I would like to take as really good news! If there's a capability now for delivering the metadata, could you provide a link to the instructions?

Thanks,

Tim

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PatrickFlorance

Hi Tim et al.

The Open Geoportal community is just finishing up a new open source web-based metadata toolkit for rapid metadata authoring that includes shared schemas and multiple standards and metadata ingest into portal environments. It should be available in the next 6 weeks. We are working closely with ESRI on this. Several universities came together on this. For more information please see http://opengeoportal.org - Software. We'd certainly be happy to discuss.

Patrick

TimMinter

Patrick Florance‌,

I have tried to get to the opengeoportal.org site a few times, but I haven't been able to load it in various browsers on various networks. Is it a thing, or has it evaporated?

thx,

tim

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PatrickFlorance

Hi Tim,

Your talking about the Open Geoportal Wordpress site at http://opengeoportal.org/?

Yes it is very much a thing. What browser? What OS? free feel to email me offline at patrick.florance@tufts.edu

The OGP data portal is available at http://geodata.tufts.edu

As I mentioned we are working very closely with ESRI on all this.

TimMinter

Hi Patrick,

Yup, that's the one. I tried using IE, Firefox, and Chrome on Win7 inside my employer's network and Safari on my phone-thang on AT&T's network. All failed with a time out error. I tried again today, failing on my employer's network and succeeding on my phone. So... who knows what's going on. I've kicked a support note internally and will mess with this from home this weekend.

thx,

tim

TimMinter

Nice, thanks @Andrew_Stauffer!

What’s New in ArcGIS Online (July 2015) | ArcGIS Blog

Organizational and Administrative enhancements

Metadata
Organizations can enable standards-based metadata for their items. Organizations select a metadata style which configures the organization’s experience for editing and viewing metadata. Standards-based metadata allows content authors to provide more information about an item than what is available on the details page. Styles support metadata standards such as FGDC CSDGM Metadata or North American Profile of ISO019115 2003.

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