Abstract
Geographic information metadata provides a detailed description of geographic information resources. Well before digital data emerged, metadata were shown in the margins of paper maps to inform the reader of the name of the map, the scale, the orientation of the magnetic North, the projection used, the coordinate systems, the legend, and so on. Metadata were used to communicate practical information for the proper use of maps. When geographic information entered the digital era with geographic information systems, metadata was also collected digitally to describe datasets and the dataset collections for various purposes. Initially, metadata were collected and saved in digital files by data producers for their own specific needs. The sharing of geographic datasets that required producers to provide metadata with the dataset to guide proper use of the dataset—map scale, data sources, extent, datum, coordinate reference system, etc. Because of issues with sharing and no common understanding of metadata requirements, the need for metadata standardization was recognized by the geographic information community worldwide. The ISO technical committee 211 was created in 1994 with the scope of standardization in the field of digital geographic information to support interoperability. In the early years of the committee, standardization of metadata was initiated for different purposes, which culminated in the ISO 19115:2003 standard. Now, there are many ISO Geographic information standards that covers the various aspect of geographic information metadata. This paper traces an illustration of the development and evolution of the requirements and international standardization activities of geographic information metadata standards, profiles and resources, and how these attest to facilitating the discovery, evaluation, and appropriate use of geographic information in various contexts.
Highlights
Geographic information metadata (GI-metadata) are data describing geographic information resources [1,2]
As more and more geographic information became available and users became more distant from the producers, it became apparent that some form of metadata was required
We provide a review of the development and evolution of metadata standards for geospatial information
Summary
Geographic information metadata (GI-metadata) are data describing geographic information resources [1,2]. Well before the era of digital information, GI-metadata were shown on printed maps to describe, for instance, the scale of the map, the data sources used for map compilation, the extent of the map, the datum, and the coordinate reference system. With the Internet, the Web, and the Semantic Web, GI-metadata have become an underpinning resource for the discovery, the retrieval and the appropriate use of geographic information resources. They are essential for enabling collaboration between users of geographic information that interact together towards a common end, as well as for sharing and exchanging information, i.e., interoperability. Prior to the advent of digital geographic information, printed maps contained a variety of “metadata” in the margins, providing the context for the map. There would be a report written describing the production process and sources used to produce the data
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