6.3 Core metadata for OWS 2
Table 2 shows a more complete list of core metadata elements, in particular those that are relevant to OWS 2. This clause is a discussion of that list. Discussion already in clause
6.2 and relevant only to the mandatory core elements is not repeated. While the presence of these metadata elements is optional, they must be used in the way prescribed in 19115
if they are present. There is a new column for Obligation Obl., which tells whether the element is mandatory M, optional O, or mandatory only under certain electronically
manageable conditions. Some of the elements in classes that are optional are listed as mandatory or conditional. A mandatory listing for such an element means that the
element must be present if the class is present; a conditional listing means that the element must be present if the class is present and the conditions are satisfied. The
elements are not globally mandatory. If the class of which they are a member is absent, they will be absent. If a class is absent, perhaps in the context of being the data type of an
optional element, then its subclasses, aggregation components, and their elements should not be present with blank values or values such as “not available” or “unknown”.
Not all elements in optional classes of core metadata are themselves part of the core metadata. The table does not specifically list all such elements. Generally, when such
elements exist but are not specifically listed, there is a note in the table to that effect.
Annex E.2 of ISO 19139 provides an XML instance document including all the core metadata elements.
The metadata standard name should be the universally recognized name of the metadata standard, such as ISO 19115 or the FGDC Content Standard for Digital Geospatial
Metadata, not some local name given to the standard. Similarly, the version should not be a local designation but a universally recognized name such as that of a profile.
Note that there is separate contact information for the data and metadata. The metadata contact is a required element and identifies the party responsible for the metadata. The
point of contact that is part of MD_Identification identifies the entity associated with data and provides contact information. The roles may be different. The metadata contact might
be the resource provider, custodian, or distributor. The data contact might be the originator or the principal investigator.
Vertical extent information is optional, but if it is present, both the maximum and minimum value must be provided. Similarly, temporal extent information is optional.
This metadata element refers to ISO 19108. The temporal extent must be one of two subtypes. It may be a TM_Instant, a specific moment, either an exact time given by date,
time, or both, or an indefinite time defined by its occurrence relative to another time. It may be instead a TM_Period, an interval with a beginning and an end.
The reference system can be furnished in one of two ways. The metadata may provide the projection, ellipsoid and datum. If it does not do so, then a code to identify the
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Table 2 — Expanded core metadata elements
Class ISO element
Value Obl.
Remarks
MD_Metadata language
C For metadata, required
if not defined by the encoding
characterSet C
For metadata, required if neither ISOIEC
10646-1 nor defined by encoding
dateStamp M
Metadata creation date in ISO 8601 format
fileIdentifier O
metadataStand ardName
O Name of Metadata
standard used; e.g., ISO 19115
metadataStand ardVersion
O Of the standard in the
metadataStandardNam eElement
contact:CI_ResponsibleParty Contact for metadata
organisationin dividualpositi
onName M
role M
owner, originator, etc. MD_Identification
abstract M
pointOfContact:CI_ResponsibleParty O Contact
for data
organisationin dividualpositi
onName M
role M
owner, originator, etc. citation:CI_Citation
title M
date:CI_Date date
M dateType
M creation, revision, etc.
MD_DataIdentification spatialReprese
ntationType O
grid, textTable, video, etc.
language M
For data
characterSet C
For data, required if
ISOIEC 10646-1is not used
topicCategory M
elevation, environment,
inlandWaters, etc. spatialResolution:MD_Resolution
O Either
equivalentScale or distance must be
present distance
C equivalentScale:MD_Representati
veFraction C
denominator M
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Class ISO element
Value Obl.
Remarks
extent:EX_Extent M
Required for a datasetgranule
MD_Metadata.hierarc hyLevel=dataset
EX_GeographicExtent M
Either EX_GeographicBound
ingBox or EX_GeographicDescri
ption must be present
EX_GeographicBoundingBox C
westBoundLon gitude
M eastBoundLon
gitude M
southBoundLa titude
M northBoundLat
itude M
EX_GeographicDescription C
geographicIdentifier:MD_Ide ntifier
M code
M a character string
codespace O
a character string EX_VerticalExtent
O minimumValu
e M
maximumValu e
M EX_TemporalExtent
O extent:TM_Primitive
M ISO 19108; abstract,
one or more of two subclasses is
instantiated
TM_GeometricPrimitive abstract, one or more
of two subclasses is instantiated
TM_Instant position:TM_Position
Union: one of four elements is present
date8601 C
time8601 C
dateTime8601 C
anyother:TM_Temporal Position
C indeterminateP
osition O
unknown, now,
before, or after
TM_Period TM_Instant
O two
instances: beginning and end
DQ_DataQuality O
LI_Lineage O
LI_Source O
all elements optional LI_ProcessStep
O
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Class ISO element
Value Obl.
Remarks
description M
additional optional
elements MD_ReferenceSystem
O referenceSystemIdentifier:RS_Identifier
C required if projection,
ellipsoid and datum from MD_CRS are not
present
code M
inherited from
MD_Identifier codeSpace
O inherited
from MD_Identifier, a
character string version
O authority:CI_Citation
O MD_CRS
O projection
O ellipsoid
O datum
O MD_Distribution
O MD_Format
C Required
if MD_Distributor.distri
butorFormat not documented
name M
version M
MD_DigitalTranferOptions O
All elements optional, describe size and how
available unitsOfDistrib
ution O
Tiles, layers,
geographic areas in which data is available
transferSize O
Size, in megabytes, of a unit of the transport
format used online:CI_OnLineResource
O linkage
M URL
protocol O
Connection protocol
applicationPro file
name description
function e.g., download, search,
order offline:MD_Medium
name e.g., CD-ROM, DVD,
3.5-inch floppy, hardcopy
density densityUnits
volumes mediumForma
t e.g., CPIO, tar, ISO
9660 mediumNote
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coordinate system must be provided. Providing the code space in which the coordinate system is defined will help the user to identify the coordinate system corresponding to the
code.
The core distribution metadata is the format. In the 19115 standard, it may be provided along with the distributor contact information or separately. The distributor contact
information is not core metadata.
7 OWS 2 metadata examples
7.1 Introduction