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?
Q: What is INSPIRE?
A: The INSPIRE Directive came into force in 2009 and aims to enable the sharing of environmental data among public sector organisations, and facilitate better public access to the same data. The UK Government mandated that all local authorities publish spatial data under the INSPIRE framework, for particular "themes", and with three phases:
- Make data discoverable by creating INSPIRE-compliant metadata and publishing through a data discovery service. In the UK this means using the Gemini 2.2 metadata standard and publishing through data.gov.uk
- Publish data through INSPIRE-compliant web services to allow the viewing and downloading of data. In general this means using a Web Map Service (WMS) for viewing and a Web Feature Service (WFS) for downloading.
- Transform data to comply with INSPIRE data specifications. In the UK this phase has not yet been enacted.
See the attached pdf "A guide to INSPIRE compliance in local government" for further information.
Q: What is Gemini?
A: Gemini is the UK implementation of the INSPIRE metadata standard. It describes the information that is required for a metadata record to be compliant with INSPIRE and to be accepted for publication to data.gov.uk. The current version of Gemini (as of October 2018) is 2.2, but by December 2019 records will need to be compliant with Gemini 2.3. For more information about Gemini please visit the official documentation at https://www.agi.org.uk/agi-groups/standards-committee/uk-gemini
Q: What is 'Get INSPIREd'?
A: Get INSPIREd is an initiative by Astun Technology to allow existing and new customers to create metadata that is compliant with the INSPIRE framework, ready for publication to data.gov.uk. It is a cost-effective and easy to use implementation that can be integrated with existing workflows or be completely stand-alone.
Q: What is a Metadata Catalog?
A: A metadata catalog, or store, or portal, is where metadata records are held. The data that the records refer to is held elsewhere, such as in a database. The catalog provides a searchable access point for your metadata, and a service endpoint (CSW) that can be used by external parties (such as data.gov.uk) to ingest or harvest your metadata.
Q: What is GeoNetwork?
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 iShareGIS?
A: No metadata is stored in iShareGIS, just links to the records, so any updates made to the metadata in the catalog will be reflected in the metadata available in iShareGIS.
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 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:
Q: What format do my Metadata records need to be in?
A: The Metadata records in the catalog need to be in UK Gemini 2.2 format, however we can provide methods of transforming from other standards as an optional extra.