The document discusses the Province of Nova Scotia's efforts to upgrade metadata for over 50 geospatial datasets to comply with FGDC standards. A number of tools were used in the process including the USGS Metadata Parser, ArcGIS Upgrade Metadata tool, and University of Idaho Batch Metadata Modifier. While many errors were initially identified by the Metadata Parser, running the outputs through an XSLT stylesheet produced compliant XML metadata, though some errors remained and further effort is needed to fully validate the metadata.

2.  Sponsor Information
 Overview
 Tools Used:
› U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Metadata
Parser
› ArcToolbox – Upgrade Metadata Tool
› University of Idaho – Batch Metadata
Modifier Tool
› USGS Metadata Wizard
 Conclusions

3.  Province of Nova Scotia – Department of
Natural Resources, Mines and
Geoscience Division
 Maintain NovaRoc, NovaScan,
GeoNova
 Bedrock geology maps and data, drill
hole data, mineral occurrences etc.
 http://novascotia.ca/natr/meb/

4.  Mines and Geoscience Division
maintains open data online
 200+ datasets
 Metadata are created in ArcGIS 9.3
 Must be FGDC compliant (Federal
Geographic Data Committee)
 DNR recently upgraded to ArcGIS 10.2

6.  Data about data
 Usually presented as an XML document

7. View of metadata in
ArcCatalog
View of metadata
editor in ArcCatalog

8.  EXtensible Markup Language
› Was designed to describe data
 EXtensible Stylesheet Language
Transformations
› Used to transform XML documents

9.  Given approximately 50 datasets
› Multiple mxds
› Shapefiles
› File gdb with multiple feature classes
› Layer files (.lyr)
› Metadata xml files

10.  ArcCatalog
 USGS Metadata Parser
 ArcToolbox – Upgrade Metadata Tool
 University of Idaho – Batch Metadata
Modifier Tool
 United States Geological Service (USGS)
Metadata Toolbox

11.  Tests compliance to the CSDGM (Content
Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata)
 Can download or use the online version
 ZIP file of output
› HTML error report
 Output XML is formatted
http://geology.usgs.gov/tools/metadata/tools/doc/mp.html

12.  ArcGIS Product – found in the conversion
toolbox
 31 errors when run through the Metadata
Parser (MP)
 Does not meet the FGDC Metadata
Standard

14.  Stand alone tool or ArcGIS add-in
 Can edit multiple metadata files at once
 ‘Find and Replace’ Method
 Best for someone who has an in depth
knowledge of the metadata files

16.  Script tool that requires input of
› ESRI shapefiles
› Feature classes (in File and Personal
geodatabases)
› Most raster files (.TIF, .IMG, .BMP, .GIF, .PNG,
.JPG and ESRI GRID)
› Tabular data sets (.dbf, ESRI Info, or ESRI
geodatabase table) OR
› XML files

18.  Extracts existing metadata
 User will then have the ability to edit and
update any information extracted
 Original is written over by the finished
product
 These files are not upgraded in ArcGIS
› There is still a warning to update when
opened

20.  Combines the USGS Metadata Wizard and
the ArcGIS Upgrade Metadata Tool
 Same inputs as the Metadata Wizard
 Produces a mostly FGDC Metadata
Standard compliant XML
 Also compatible with ArcGIS 10.2
 Many errors (from mp), but when translated
with the XSLT it appears to be correct
› Comparing results to the metadata currently
available online

22.  Metadata conversion is not as
straightforward as one might think
 The script tool will produce a upgraded
metadata file with a few errors
 More time
› To learn XML/XSLT
› Update the XSLT

24.  http://blogs.esri.com/esri/arcgis/2010/06/25/fgdc-metadata-editor-for-arcgis-10/
 http://blogs.esri.com/esri/arcgis/2011/01/06/a-new-approach-for-metadata-with-arcgis-
10-part-2/
 http://blogs.esri.com/esri/arcgis/2011/01/12/a-new-approach-for-metadata-with-arcgis-
10-part-3/
 https://www.fgdc.gov/metadata
 https://www.fgdc.gov/metadata/geospatial-metadata-tools
 http://geology.usgs.gov/tools/metadata/tools/doc/mp.html
 http://inside.uidaho.edu/helpdocs/batch_metadata_modifier_tool.html
 https://www.sciencebase.gov/catalog/item/50ed7aa4e4b0438b00db080a
 ESRI Virtual Campus – Creating and Editing Metadata
 Inter net GIS by Zhong-Ren Peng & Ming-Hsiang Tsou