Metadata Resources
Why Create Metadata?
Metadata Guidelines
- The Minnesota Geographic Metadata Guidelines (MGMG): These state guidelines for documenting GIS data are a streamlined, but compatible, version of the federal metadata standard.
- Federal Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata: Some projects may require you to use the full federal standard -- the Federal Geographic Data Committee provides help.
Software
- Minnesota Metadata Editor (MME): A free standalone tool customized for the Minnesota Geographic Metadata Guidelines
Help Me Fill in the Fields!
- Top 10 Ways to Create Metadata That's Just Ducky (2 pages, 359K, PDF)
- Minnesota geographic coordinates: Latitude and longitude bounding box coordinates for counties and other areas in Minnesota
- Topic categories: Used on the Minnesota Geospatial Commons, based on the international ISO 19115 standard
- Positional accuracy handbook: Help with horizontal positional accuracy
- Institutionalize Metadata Before It Institutionalizes You!: Integrate metadata production into your geospatial data development process
Creating Metadata for the Minnesota Geospatial Commons
Also see "Software" section above
Metadata Workshop Training Materials
- Minnesota materials: MnGeo's "Don't Duck Metadata" workshop slideshow (58 slides, 2.2 MB, PPTX). Topics: What's metadata and what's its value; a walk through the Minnesota guidelines; MME metadata entry tool; how to make metadata easier. Updated 5/14
- Federal materials: Educational materials tailored to the federal metadata content standard