Automatic spatial metadata systems – the case of Australian urban research infrastructure network

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe increasing amount of spatial data demands effective and efficient methods for managing them in spatial data infrastructures (SDIs). Metadata standards have been developed in response to the needs of data custodians who manage these ever-growing resources and in recognition of the end users’ need for easy access and discovery of spatial data. Data custodians prepare metadata records and allow SDIs to harvest them. The harvesting can be undertaken through metadata standards or data service standards. The metadata updating processes are not efficient and, therefore, create a disjoint between the data and its metadata. As a result, end users cannot realize the full potential of metadata records. In addressing this issue, the paper presents an automatic spatial metadata system with a suite of functions including metadata monitoring, enrichment, and maintenance to enable the data custodians to manage the integrity of their metadata records in SDIs. These functions have been demonstrated and reviewed through a case study in the Australian Urban Infrastructure Network (AURIN). Using these functions, AURIN’s data custodians have been able to offer over 1200 coherent and consistent spatial metadata records to end users.