Metadata for Geographic Information

Users of geographic data may not be able to afford to purchase and implement a dataset that does not finally meet their needs. Therefore, metadata has a very important role in the information supply environment of geographic data. The development of national/local spatial data infrastructures recognizes the importance of metadata, as do the digital libraries providing spatial data. The new ISO 19115:2003 standard of metadata for geographic information is introduced briefly. In particular, geographic information can be made available as digital maps (or images) that are meant for visual use, or as datasets meant for computational use. Metadata for digital maps is closely related to the metadata elements for conventional maps and can be enhanced by providing a sample map with the data. The case of computational use of geographic data is more complex. There are several details that may appear crucial when determining the fitness of data for an intended use. Understanding the importance of the crucial factors in each use case requires professional skills from the users of metadata. [Article copies available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service: 1-800-HAWORTH. E-mail address: Website: © 2005 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.]