Q: What is Metadata?
A: Metadata is information about data. Metadata records document the who, what, when, where, how, and why of a data resource. Geospatial metadata describes maps, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) files, imagery, and other location-based data resources. As an analogy- imagine lots of tins of food without labels. How do you know what's in it, what the best before date is, who made it, and whether it's fit to eat?
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A: GeoNetwork is the leading open source metadata catalog. Astun Technology use GeoNetwork as the basis for the GetINSPIREd initiative and are committed to maintaining the plugins to use Gemini 2.2 (and soon 2.3) in GeoNetwork.
Q: Can everyone see or change my metadata?
A: Only if you let them! Metadata records must be explicitly published to make them available to the outside world. You can also assign different privileges to records to make them visible to a select group of people, or to allow some people to edit them.
Q: Can I access metadata stored in a GeoNetwork metadata store in iShareGIS?
A: A layer in iShareGIS can be linked to it's corresponding metadata record in iShare Studio. Please see Metadata Overview for the information on the initial configuration of iShare Studio to link it to GeoNetwork, and then the method for linking metadata to a layer. Once the metadata is linked, then it is available for viewing via the "omnisearch" bar in iShareGIS, or via the controls for an individual layer.
Q: Are any metadata records stored in
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iShareGIS?
A: No metadata is stored in iShareiShareGIS, just links to the records, so any updates made to the metadata store in the catalog will be reflected in the metadata available in iShareiShareGIS.
Q: What is a CSW Interface?
A: A Catalogue Service for the Web (CSW) is a web service, much like a WFS or WMS, and is the method by which external parties such as data.gov.uk gain access to the metadata. Only metadata that has been explicitly published can be accessed by the CSW service.
Q: How do I configure Studio
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to access my CSW Interface?
A: There are two steps involved in this process, the first is to configure the WebStudio and MetadataWebService URLs, the second in configuring your CSW end-point.
The first step is done in iShare settings under the 'Master Settings' tab, scroll down to the sub-heading titled 'WebService' and make sure that you have the MetadataWebServiceURL and WebStudioURL configured.
The second step is also found in iShare Master Settings under the sub-heading titled 'Catalogue Service for the Web' where the end-point of your CSW can be entered.
See examples below:
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What format do my Metadata records need to be in?
A: The Metadata records in the Metadata store will catalog need to be in UK Gemini 2.2 format. These records need to correspond to the layers in iShare in order to link through correctly.
Q: How do I access Metadata in iShare?
A: To do this you will need to associate Metadata records with their corresponding iShare Layer. The Metadata for each layer is not accessible in iShare until these layers have been linked to the Metadata.
The best way to do this is to perform a search in Studio for metadata records that correspond to the layers contained in iShare. In Studio, you will need to navigate through the following nested folders; under 'Map Sources' expand the 'My Maps' sub-heading to reveal the 'Metadata' node.
Clicking on the 'Metadata' node will reveal a list of Map Sources for My Maps. Each Map Source will contain Layer Groups, containing Layers. Each Layer will display one of two options depending on whether they have or do not have a Metadata record attached to them.
Layers that have no Metadata record will simply give the option to 'Find', this will open a search box to help navigate to the correct Metadata record for that particular Layer.
Layers that have a Metadata record will give the option to 'Remove' or 'Replace' that record where 'Remove' will un-link the record, and 'Replace' will un-link the existing record and link the new record again utilising the search box to navigate to the desired record.
Q: What is the advantage of linking Metadata records to Layers in iShare?
A: You will be able to display the Metadata record for a given Layer in both iShare Maps and iShare GIS, and Search for Metadata records in iShare GIS.
Q:, however we can provide methods of transforming from other standards as an optional extra.