FGDC Subcommittee on
Cultural and Demographic Data (SCDD)

1. Name of Standard. Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata: Thematic Supplement for Geospatially Referenced Cultural and Demographic Data Metadata (the standard).

2. Explanation. The Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata specifies the information content of metadata for a set of digital geospatial data. Metadata are data about the content, quality, condition, and other characteristics of data. The Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) developed the Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata to meet the metadata needs of the broad geospatial data community; as a result of the very nature of this approach specific thematic data needs were not addressed. The FGDC's Subcommittee on Cultural and Demographic Data developed this standard to supplement and be used with the Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata in order to address the specific thematic needs of the producers and users of cultural and demographic data while furthering an integrated approach to producing and using FGDC-compliant metadata.

The standard specifies the information content of metadata for a set of geospatially referenced cultural and demographic data. Metadata producers complying with the standard produce FGDC-compliant metadata as the standard requires completion of the metadata core which is comprised of the mandatory compound and data elements of the Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata. The purpose of the standard is to additionally define the compound and data elements integral for describing topical data sets by (1) identifying a geospatially referenced cultural and demographic data metadata core from the optional compound and data elements of the Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata, and (2) defining geospatially referenced cultural and demographic data user-defined compound and data elements to provide a more complete description of geospatially referenced cultural and demographic data.

3. Approving Authority. To be completed.

4. Maintenance Authority. The United States Department of Commerce - Bureau of the Census is responsible for the maintenance of the standard described in this document.

5. Related Documents. A list of references is contained in Appendix E.

6. Objectives. The objectives of the standard are to identify a common set of terminology and definitions for the documentation of geospatially referenced cultural and demographic data while furthering an integrated approach to metadata for geospatial data. The standard supplements, and is designed for use with, the Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata. The standard expands on the principles, rules, and compound and data elements of the Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata.

7. Applicability. The standard is for the documentation of the cultural and demographic content of geospatial data. It is a supplement to and for use with the Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata.

The standard applies to all topical data sets involving Federal funding for origination, distribution, or holding by all levels of government, academia, and the private sector. Future topical data sets with metadata complying to the standard will:

1. be in compliance with the Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata,
2. provide standardized information on the cultural and demographic content of the data set, and
3. help the public locate and access the data set by making the metadata available through either (1) the FGDC sponsored National Geospatial Data Clearinghouse (using the Internet), or (2) the Government Information Locator Service (GILS).

8. Specifications. The standard requires completion of the metadata core comprised of the mandatory compound and data elements of the Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata. The standard identifies a geospatially referenced cultural and demographic data metadata core comprised of optional compound and data elements from the Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata and assigns new obligations for their use and amends their domains. The standard additionally defines geospatially referenced cultural and demographic data user-defined compound and data elements and supplies source information, definitions, obligations, information about values to be provided for the data elements, and ordering of the compound and data elements. The standard introduces additional production rules for the user-defined compound and data elements.

9. Where to Obtain Copies. Copies of this publication are available from the Federal Geographic Data Committee Secretariat, in care of the U.S. Geological Survey, 590 National Center, Reston, Virginia 22902.

1. Subcommittee Responsibilities. The Federal Geographic Data Committee's (FGDC) Subcommittee on Cultural and Demographic Data (the Subcommittee) was formed in 1991. The Department of Commerce, exercising its responsibility for the coordination, management, and dissemination of geospatially referenced cultural and demographic data, delegated the Subcommittee lead agency responsibility to the Bureau of the Census. The Subcommittee's responsibilities partially include:

1. assisting the Bureau of the Census in establishing and publishing standards and specifications for reporting geospatially referenced cultural and demographic data, including the use of measurement units, and assisting in establishing priorities for their production,
2. developing and adopting common standards of content, format, and accuracy for Federal agencies to use when reporting and transferring geospatially referenced cultural and demographic data and encouraging the use of these standards by non-Federal organizations by increasing the interchangeability of these data and enhancing their potential for multiple use,
3. promoting governmentwide use of the Spatial Data Transfer Standard (Federal Information Processing Standard 173) for the exchange of applicable geospatially referenced cultural and demographic data, and
4. establishing and maintaining mechanisms and reports to help others ensure that the geospatially referenced cultural and demographic data sets they maintain can be used by agencies participating in the National Geographic Data System.

2. Participants. Member agencies of the Subcommittee participating in development of the standard include:

• Department of Agriculture, National Resources Conservation Service
• Department of Agriculture, U.S. Forest Service
• Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census
• Department of Commerce, Office of Ocean Resources, Conservation, and Assessment
• Department of Defense, Tri-Service CADD/GIS Technology Center
• Department of Defense, U.S. Army Corp of Engineers
• Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics
• Department of Health and Human Services, National Center for Health Statistics
• Department of Housing and Urban Development
• Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs
• Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management
• Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Services
• Department of the Interior, National Biological Service
• Department of the Interior, National Park Service
• Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey
• Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics
• Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division
• Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation
• Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Department of State
• Environmental Protection Agency
• Federal Emergency Management Agency
• Library of Congress
• National Archives and Records Administration
• National Capital Planning Commission
• Social Security Administration
• Tennessee Valley Authority

The Subcommittee defines geospatially referenced cultural and demographic data as having components of, but not being limited to, compilations of findings about the people and institutions of the United States and its territories: the characteristics of the people, the nature of the dwellings in which they live, the economic activities they pursue (such as the farms on and establishments or organizations for which they work), the facilities they use to support their health and recreational needs, the impact of humans on the environment and the environment on them, and the boundaries, names and numeric codes of the geographic entities used to report the data collected.

4. Goals. Goals pertinent to the development of the standard include:

1. improving the utilization of geospatial data in response to Executive Order 12906, Coordinating Geographic Data Acquisition and Access (U.S. Executive Office of the President, 1994) by providing data category specific standards,
2. providing metadata for geospatially referenced cultural and demographic data to the National Geospatial Data Clearinghouse, and
3. providing metadata for geospatially referenced cultural and demographic data to help the public locate and access information throughout the U.S. government using the Government Information Locator Service (GILS) and similar search instruments.

The Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata was developed for all geospatial data, with an emphasis on direct spatially referenced data. Because of this, a large number of the compound and data elements defined in the Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata are not particularly relevant for describing indirectly spatially referenced cultural and demographic data. Additionally, as a result of the broadness of its approach, the Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata does not wholly address areas of importance in describing cultural and demographic data, specifically its topical and indirect spatially referenced aspects.

The intent of the Subcommittee in developing the standard is to (1) provide compliance with the Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata by requiring completion of the metadata core comprised of mandatory compound and data elements of the Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata, (2) provide guidance in using the optional compound and data elements defined in the Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata by identifying a geospatially referenced cultural and demographic data metadata core of optional compound and data elements defined in the Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata and assigning new obligations for their use and modifying their domains, and (3) identify additional compound and data elements for documenting the common components of geospatially referenced cultural and demographic data sets.

The Subcommittee believes the standard augments the Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata rather than replaces it, while at the same time provides a less positional and more thematic view of the data. By using the standard as a supplement with the Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata, the cultural and demographic data metadata producer creates FGDC-compliant metadata of significance to cultural and demographic data users.

2. Scope and Initial Study. Much of the standard development process was devoted to classifying geospatially referenced cultural and demographic data and determining the components important to describing this data. The Subcommittee formed a Working Group to define and inventory geospatially referenced cultural and demographic holdings and identify features (essence) of cultural and demographic data. Mini-conferences were held to summarize Federal agency needs related to the collection, use, sharing, and dissemination of geospatially referenced cultural and demographic base data.

The Subcommittee pursued both informal and formal methods to determine types of geospatially referenced cultural and demographic data important to Federal agencies. A cursory survey of Federal agencies was conducted in 1992. A more detailed survey followed in early 1994 to determine categories, category types, data topics and characteristics, geographic universe, the temporal dimension of the data, data sources, and categorization or classification schemes used for geospatially referenced cultural and demographic data. The community beyond that of Federal agencies was reached by hosting town meetings and panel discussions at professional organization conferences.

Additionally, the Internet was used to contact the geospatially referenced cultural and demographic data user community. A message requesting information was mailed to GIS-L (Listserve) and Usenet Newsgroups (comp.infosystems.gis and alt.planning.urban). The mailing is estimated to have reached over 50,000 persons world-wide.

The initial studies highlighted the diversity of geospatially referenced cultural and demographic data, indicating a significant volume of the data being collected and maintained which could be used by state and local governments and Federal agencies if there were standards in place facilitating knowledge of these particular types of data sets.

3. Work Plan. To respond to community needs and to the FGDC mandates, the Subcommittee developed a geospatially referenced cultural and demographic data metadata standard to be used as an alternate to (while augmenting) the Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata. The initial effort, titled Content Standard for Cultural and Demographic Data Metadata (draft), was submitted to the FGDC's Standard Working Group (SWG) for review in June, 1995. In their consideration of the proposed standard, the SWG determined an integrated approach to geospatial metadata would best meet the needs of the entire geospatial data community and asked the Subcommittee to revise its initial standard and present it as a supplement to the Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata. The Subcommittee agreed and worked with the FGDC Secretariat to ensure the standard would complement a proposed revision of the Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata, enhancing the direction of metadata in response to comments received from the geospatial data community.

4. Assumptions for the Standard. The Subcommittee used the following assumptions in developing the standard:

1. the standard supplements, and is used with, the Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata,
2. the standard references, but does not repeat, the Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata,
3. the standard applies to data sets contained at local, state, Federal and international levels in both governmental and non-governmental systems,
4. the standard does not judge or qualify information contained in geospatially referenced cultural and demographic data sets,
5. the standard is data topical and geospatially referenced, and
6. the standard is technology independent. A basic level of database, information systems, and computational capabilities are required to implement the standard. Technology independent means that no specific brand names or products are implied or intended in the standard.

5. Description of Components. The standard contains three parts, each of which must be completed for metadata produced using the standard to be FGDC-compliant:

1. a metadata core comprised of mandatary compound and data elements of the Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata,
2. a geospatially referenced cultural and demographic data metadata core, comprised of optional compound and data elements of the Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata, and
3. geospatially referenced cultural and demographic data user-defined compound and data elements.

Modeling the Data

1. A Reference Model: Geospatial Data. Successful creation of the Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Data was due in part to an unwritten understanding or perception of the fundamental units of geospatial data. The fundamental units of geospatial data appear to be the geographic units of points, lines, and areas (and volume or surface under special circumstances). Base features developed from these units form an important framework for such operations as delineating the boundaries of higher level geographic units. Base features may include roads, rivers, pipelines, etc. The exact features that organizations categorize as necessary base features varies and depends on the organizations' requirements for, and use of, a database and extractions from it.

The basic building blocks used to construct both the higher geographic units and the base features are points, lines, and areas (polygons). The building blocks are considered as being positioned through the use of commonly accepted coordinate systems (often latitude/longitude). Different organizations have different terminology for the building blocks as well as different coordinate schemes. This fundamental model and the common building blocks are depicted graphically in Figure 1.

2. A Model for Cultural and Demographic Data. Whereas for geospatial data there exist the fundamental units of points, lines, or areas, a corresponding data unit for cultural and demographic data is elusive at present and difficult to conceptualize. Cultural and demographic data are the data contained in or represented by the geographic framework units.

The identification of the basic cultural and demographic data unit seems to be centered on three questions:

QUESTION 1.

Does the data describe a (human) activity, for example an economic activity or a land use activity?

QUESTION 2.

Does the data describe an aspect of humans, for example their health or age?

QUESTION 3.

Does the data describe an aspect of (human) society, for example its political, social, or historical aspects?

It appears all cultural and demographic data fits into at least one and possibly more of these categories similar to the way in which typical geographic data may be categorized as points, lines, and areas. Loosely applying the "geometric" model, one can consider the human as the point, society as the line (linking humans and bounding activities), and activities as taking place over or in relation to an area. And just as there appears to be a common reference to all typical geographic features by position, there appears to be a common reference to all cultural and demographic data by count, such as its number or amount. Figure 2 depicts this model graphically.

The standard uses this conceptual data model in identifying the geospatially referenced cultural and demographic data metadata core and defining geospatially referenced cultural and demographic data user-defined metadata elements. The model additionally requires the introduction of new production rules for use with the geospatially referenced cultural and demographic data user-defined metadata elements as fundamental to describing the cultural and demographic data subject matter content (themes). Theme prioritizing, i.e. hierarchical or nested relationships, is the most difficult task for the metadata producer given the complexity of ideas which can make up a data set.

Appendix A is a series of diagrams applying the Federal Information Processing Standards Publication 183: Integration Definition for Function Modeling (IDEF0) (FIPS PUB 183). IDEF0 modeling language and associated rules and techniques develop a structured graphic representation of the function "Produce FGDC-compliant metadata for geospatially referenced cultural and demographic data," clearly illustrating the relationship between the standard and the Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata.

Sections

SECTION 1.

a metadata core comprised of mandatary compound and data elements of the Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata,

SECTION 2.

a geospatially referenced cultural and demographic data metadata core, comprised of optional compound and data elements of the Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata, and

SECTION 3.

geospatially referenced cultural and demographic data user-defined metadata elements.

Section 1 refers the metadata producer to the Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata for the mandatory compound and data elements which comprise the metadata core.

Section 2 identifies the optional compound and data elements of the Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata which are considered essential for describing the cultural and demographic content of data sets and comprise the geospatially referenced cultural and demographic data metadata core. The metadata producer is referred to the Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata for definitions, which remain unchanged. Obligations are changed and domains may be modified. New obligations and restrictions and/or additions to domains which supersede those found in the Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata are provided.

Section 3 provides the names and definitions of the geospatially referenced cultural and demographic data user-defined compound and data elements. The source, obligation for use, element the compound or data element leads or follows, type, and domain are provided.

Compound Elements

Unchanged; refer to the Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata.

Production Rules

The existing production rules and symbols as defined in the Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata apply to the standard and remain unchanged; refer to the Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata.

Given the complexity of relationships within the cultural and demographic component of a data set, e.g. the hierarchical ordering and/or nesting of themes, the standard identifies two additional production rules which are applicable only to the geospatially referenced cultural and demographic data user-defined data elements of Section 3. The symbols used in the production rules have the following meaning:

>

hierarchical relation - the data element value has a hierarchical relation with the following metadata value(s). Both comprise a "branch" of information, the following metadata value(s) nest under this value.

,

same-level relation - separates same-level data element metadata values which are part of a "branch" of information.

Data Elements

Unchanged; refer to the Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata.

Calendar Dates (Years, Months, and Days)

Unchanged; refer to the Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata.

Time of Day (Hours, Minutes, and Seconds)

Unchanged; refer to the Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata.

Latitude and Longiude

Unchanged; refer to the Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata.

Network Addresses and File Names

Unchanged; refer to the Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata.

Metadata Core

all mandatory compound and data elements of the Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Data Metadata.

The obligation of this section is mandatory--it must be completed by the metadata producer.

All compound and data elements of this section are mandatory--they must be completed by the metadata producer.

Refer to the Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata for the compound and data elements comprising the Metadata Core, their definitions, type, domains, and production rules.

Editor's Note: The following listing is included for information only while the standard is being developed and will NOT be placed in the final standard. The listing consists of the probable Metadata Core data elements from the DOI (Yellowstone) Core (bold text). The compound elements they nest under and which are not specifically mentioned in the DOI (YHellowstone) Core are included for reference (plain text.) The DOI (Yellowstone) Core reference data element name is included in parenthesis when it differs from the Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata data element name.

• Identification Information
  • Citation
    • Originator
    • Publication Date (Date Set Date)
    • Title
  • Description
    • Abstract
    • Purpose (Purpose for Collection)
  • Access Constraints
  • Use Constraints
  • Status
    • Progress (Data Set Status)
    • Maintenance and Update Frequency (Update Schedule)
  • Spatial Domain
    • Bounding Coordinates (Extents)
      • West Bounding Coordinate (West Coordinate)
      • East Bounding Coordinate (East Coordinate)
      • North Bounding Coordinate (North Coordinate)
      • South Bounding Coordinate (South Coordinate)
  • Keywords
    • Theme
      • Theme Keyword (Data Set Theme)
    • Place
      • Place Keyword (Data Set Place Name)
  • Point of Contact
    • Contact Information (Contact)
      • Contact Person Primary (Contact Person)
      • Contact Organization Primary (Contact Organization)
      • Contact Address
        • Address Type
        • Address
        • City
        • State
        • Postal Code (ZIP)
      • Contact Voice Telephone
• Data Quality Information
  • Lineage
    • Source Information
      • Source Citation
        • Citation Information
          • Originator (Source Used)
      • Source Scale Denominator (Source Scale)
• Distribution Information
  • Standard Order Process
    • Digital Form
      • Digital Transfer Information
        • Format Name (Data Set's Local Identifier)
        • Format Specification (Data Set's Local Format)
        • File Decompression Technique (File Decompression Used)
      • Digital Transfer Options
        • Online Option
          • Computer Contact Information
            • Network Address
              • Network Resource Name (Data Set's Computer Location)
• Metadata Reference Information
  • Metadata Date
  • Metadata Standard Name (Metadata Standard Used)
  • Metadata Standard Version

Geospatially Referenced Cultural and Demographic Data Metadata Core --

Optional compound and data elements of the Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Data Metadata considered essential for describing the cultural and demographic content (and the quality of the cultural and demographic content) of data sets. The obligation for use assigned the compound and data elements of the Geospatially Referenced Cultural and Demographic Data Metadata Core is mandatory or mandatory if applicable, superseding the optional obligation for use assigned them in the Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Data Metadata.

The obligation of this section is mandatory--it must be completed by the metadata producer.

Refer to the Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata for the definitions of the compound and data elements comprising the Geospatially Referenced Cultural and Demographic Data Metadata Core. Production rules, types, and domains are provided below (this information may vary from the information provided in the Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Data and supersedes it).

Geospatially Referenced Cultural and Demographic Data Metadata Core =

Identification Information +

Data Quality Information +

0{Distribution Information}1 +

Metadata Reference Information

Identification Information =

Citation +

Description +

Time Period of Content +

Status +

0{Spatial Domain}1 +

Keywords +

Access Constraints +

Use Constraints +

Point of Contact +

0{Security Information}

Citation =

Citation Information (see Citation Information Section of the Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata for production rules)

Description =

Abstract +

Purpose

Time Period of Content =

Time Period Information (see Time Period Information Section of the Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata for production rules) +

Currentness Reference

Status =

Progress +

Maintenance and Update Frequency

Spatial Domain =

Bounding Coordinates

Bounding Coordinates =

West Bounding Coordinate +

East Bounding Coordinate +

North Bounding Coordinate +

South Bounding Coordinate

Keywords =

Theme +

Place

Theme =

1{Theme Keyword}n

Place =

1{Place Keyword}n

Point of Contact =

Contact Information (see Contact Information Section of the Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata for production rules)

Security Information =

Security Classification System +

Security Classification +

Security Handling Description

Data Quality Information =

0{Attribute Accuracy}1 +

0{Logical Consistency Report}1 +

0{Completeness Report}1 +

0{Positional Accuracy}1 +

Lineage

Attribute Accuracy =

Attribute Accuracy Report +

0{Quantitative Attribute Accuracy Assessment}1

Quantitative Attribute Accuracy Assessment =

Attribute Accuracy Value +

Attribute Accuracy Explanation

Positional Accuracy =

0{Horizontal Positional Accuracy}1

0{Vertical Positional Accuracy}1

Horizontal Positional Accuracy =

Horizontal Positional Accuracy Report +

1{Quantitative Horizontal Positional Accuracy Assessment}n

Quantitative Horizontal Positional Accuracy Assessment =

Horizontal Positional Accuracy Value +

Horizontal Positional Accuracy Explanation

Vertical Positional Accuracy =

Vertical Positional Accuracy Report +

1{Quantitative Vertical Positional Accuracy Assessment}n

Quantitative Vertical Positional Accuracy Assessment =

Vertical Positional Accuracy Value +

Vertical Positional Accuracy Explanation

Lineage =

0{Source Information}n +

1{Process Step}n

Source Information =

Source Citation +

0{Source Scale Denominator}1 +

Source Time Period of Content +

Source Citation Abbreviation +

Source Contribution

Source Citation =

Citation Information (see Citation Information section of the Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata for production rules)

Source Time Period of Content =

Time Period Information (see Time Period Information section of the Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata for production rules) +

Source Currentness Reference

Process Step =

Process Description +

0{Source Used Citation Abbreviation}n +

Process Date +

0{Process Time}1 +

0{Source Produced Citation Abbreviation}n

Distribution Information =

1{ Distributor +

0{Resource Description}1 +

Distribution Liability +

0{Standard Order Process}n +

0{Custom Order Process}1 +

0{Technical Prerequisites}1 +

0{Available Time Period}1 }n

Distributor =

Contact Information (see Contact Information section of the Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata for production rules)

Standard Order Process =

[Non-digital Form | 0{Digital Form}n] +

Fees +

0{Ordering Instructions}1 +

0{Turnaround]1

Digital Form =

Digital Transfer Information +

Digital Transfer Options

Digital Transfer Information =

Format Name +

0{Format Version Number | Format Version Date + 0{Format Specification}1}1 +

0{Format Information Content}1 +

0{File Decompression Technique}1 +

0{Transfer Size}1

Digital Transfer Option =

1{[Online Option] | Offline Option]}n

Online Option =

{Computer Contact Information}n

Computer Contact Information =

[Network Address | Dialup Instructions]

Network Address =

1{Network Resource Name}n

Dialup Instructions =

1{Dialup Telephone}n +

1{Dialup File Name}n

Offline Option =

Offline Media

Available Time Period =

Time Period Information (see Time Period Information section of the Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata for production rules)

Metadata Reference Information =

Metadata Date +

0{Metadata Review Date}1 +

Metadata Standard Name +

Metadata Standard Version +

Metadata Time Convention

------------------------------------------------------

• Identification Information
  1. Type: compound
  2. Obligation: mandatory
  • Citation
    1. Type: compound
    2. Obligation: mandatory

  • Description
    1. Type: compound
    2. Obligation: mandatory
    • Abstract
      1. Type: text
      2. Obligation: mandatory
      3. Domain: free text

    • Purpose
      1. Type: text
      2. Obligation: mandatory
      3. Domain: free text

  • Time Period of Content
    1. Type:compound
    2. Obligation: mandatory
    • Currentness Reference
      1. Type: text
      2. Obligation: mandatory
      3. Domain: "Ground condition" "Publication date" free text

  • Status
    1. Type: compound
    2. Obligation: mandatory
    • Progress
      1. Type: text
      2. Obligation: mandatory
      3. Domain: "Complete" "In work" "Planned"

    • Maintenance and Update Frequency
      1. Type: text
      2. Obligation: mandatory
      3. Domain: "Continually" "Daily" "Weekly" "Monthly" "Annually" "Unknown" "As needed" "Irregular" "None planned" free text

  • Spatial Domain
    1. Type: compound
    2. Obligation: mandatory if applicable
    • Bounding Coordinates
      1. Type: compound
      2. Obligation: mandatory
      • West Bounding Coordinate
        1. Type: real
        2. Obligation: mandatory
        3. Domain: -180.0 <= East Bounding Coordinate <= 180.0

      • East Bounding Coordinate
        1. Type: real
        2. Obligation: mandatory
        3. Domain: -180.0 <= East Bounding Coordinate <= 180.0

      • North Bounding Coordinate
        1. Type: real
        2. Obligation: mandatory
        3. Domain: -90.0 <= North Bounding Coordinate <= 90.0 North Bounding Coordinate >= South Bounding Coordinate

      • South Bounding Coordinate
        1. Type: real
        2. Obligation: mandatory
        3. Domain: -90.0 <= South Bounding Coordinate <= 90.0 South Bounding Coordinate <= North Bounding Coordinate

  • Keywords
    1. Type: compound
    2. Obligation: mandatory
    • Theme
      1. Type: compound
      2. Obligation: mandatory
      • Theme Keyword
        1. Type: text
        2. Obligation: mandatory
        3. Domain: "Agriculture" "Archeology" "Architecture, art" "Archives, museum, museum collections" "Attitudes, outlook" "Banking, finance, insurance" "Business enterprise" "Communications" "Construction" "Customs" "Diet, traditional foods" "Domestic trade, service" "Economics" "Education" "Energy" "Environment" "Family life" "Finances, employment (federal)" "Finances, employment (state, local)" "finances, employment (corporate)" "Fisheries" "Foreign trade, commerce" "Forests, forest products" "Geography" "Government, politics" "Health, nutrition" "Heritage" "History" "Housing" "Income, expenditures, wealth" "Industrialization" "Labor force, employment, earnings" "Language" "Law enforcement, courts, prisons" "Manufacturers" "Migration, naturalization" "Mining, mining products" "National defense, veterans affairs" "Nationality" "Navigation" "Parks, recreation" "Population" "Prices" "Science, technology" "Settlement" "Skills" "Social insurance, Human services" "Transportation" "Vital statistics" "War" free text
           Editor's Note: Theme Keyword must match a response to the geospatially referenced cultural and demographic data user-defined metadata element Major Theme

    • Place
      1. Type: compound
      2. Obligation: mandatory
      • Place Keyword
        1. Type: text
        2. Obligation: mandatory if applicable
        3. Domain: free text
           Editor's Note: Place Keyword must match a response to the geospatially referenced cultural and demographic data user-defined metadata element Geographic Extent Description.

  • Access Constraints
    1. Type: text
    2. Obligation: mandatory
    3. Domain: "None" free text

  • Use Constraints
    1. Type: text
    2. Obligation: mandatory
    3. Domain: "None" free text

  • Security Information
    1. Type: compound
    2. Obligation: mandatory if applicable
    • Security Classification System
      1. Type: text
      2. Obligation: mandatory
      3. Domain: free text

    • Security Classification
      1. Type: text
      2. Obligation: mandatory
      3. Domain: "Top secret" "Secret" "Confidential" "Restricted" "Unclassified" "Sensitive" free text

    • Security Handling Description
      1. Type: text
      2. Obligation: Mandatory
      3. Domain: free text

• Data Quality Information
  1. Type: compound
  2. Obligation: mandatory
  • Attribute Accuracy
    1. Type: compound
    2. Obligation: mandatory if applicable
    • Attribute Accuracy Report
      1. Type: text
      2. Obligation: mandatory
      3. Domain: "Unknown" free text

    • Quantitative Attribute Accuracy Assessment
      1. Type: compound
      2. Obligation: mandatory if applicable
      • Attribute Accuracy Value
        1. Type: text
        2. Obligation mandatory
        3. Domain: "Unknown" free text

      • Attribute Accuracy Explanation
        1. Type: text
        2. Obligation: mandatory
        3. Domain: "Unknown" free text

  • Logical Consistency Report
    1. Type: text
    2. Obligation: mandatory if applicable
    3. Domain: "Unknown" free text

  • Completeness Report
    1. Type: text
    2. Obligation: mandatory if applicable
    3. Domain: "Unknown" free text

  • Positional Accuracy
    1. Type: compound
    2. Obligation: mandatory if applicable
    • Horizontal Positional Accuracy
      1. Type: compound
      2. Obligation: mandatory if applicable
      • Horizontal Positional Accuracy Report
        1. Type: text
        2. Obligation: mandatory
        3. Domain: "Unknown" free text

      • Quantitative Horizontal Positional Accuracy Assessment
        1. Type: compound
        2. Obligation: mandatory if applicable
        • Horizontal Positional Accuracy Value
          1. Type: real
          2. Obligation: mandatory
          3. Domain: free real

        • Horizontal Positional Accuracy Explanation
          1. Type: text
          2. Obligation: mandatory
          3. Domain: free text

    • Vertical Positional Accuracy
      1. Type: compound
      2. Obligation: mandatory if applicable
      • Vertical Positional Accuracy Report
        1. Type: text
        2. Obligation: mandatory
        3. Domain: "Unknown" free text

      • Quantitative Vertical Positional Accuracy Assessment
        1. Type: compound
        2. Obligation: mandatory if applicable
        • Vertitcal Positional Accuracy Value
          1. Type: real
          2. Obligation: mandatory
          3. Domain: free real

        • Vertical Positional Accuracy Explanation
          1. Type: text
          2. Obligation: mandatory
          3. Domain: free text

  • Lineage
    1. Type: compound
    2. Obligation: mandatory
    • Source Information:
      1. Type: compound
      2. Obligation: mandatory if applicable
      • Source Citation:
        1. Type: compound
        2. Obligation: mandatory

      • Source Scale Denominator
        1. Type: integer
        2. Obligation: mandatory if applicable
        3. Domain: Source Scale Denominator > 1

      • Source Time Period of Content
        1. Type: compound
        2. Obligation: mandatory
        • Source Currentness Reference
          1. Type: text
          2. Obligation: mandatory
          3. Domain: "Ground condition" "Publication date" free text

      • Source Citation Abbreviation
        1. Type: text
        2. Obligation: mandatory
        3. Domain: free text

      • Source Contribution
        1. Type: text
        2. Obligation: mandatory
        3. Domain: free text

    • Process Step
      1. Type: compound
      2. Obligation: mandatory if applicable
      • Process Description
        1. Type: text
        2. Obligation: mandatory
        3. Domain: free text

      • Source Used Citation Abbreviation
        1. Type: text
        2. Obligation mandatory if applicable
        3. Domain: Source Citation Abbrevs. from the Source Info. entries for the data set

      • Process Date
        1. Type: date
        2. Obligation: mandatory
        3. Domain: "Unknown" "Not complete" free date

      • Process Time
        1. Type: time
        2. Obligation: mandatory if applicable
        3. Domain: free time

      • Source Produced Citation Abbreviation
        1. Type: text
        2. Obligation: mandatory if applicable
        3. Domain: Source Citation Abbreviations from the Source Information entries for the data set

• Distribution Information
  1. Type: compound
  2. Obligation: mandatory if applicable
  • Distributor
    1. Type: compound
    2. Obligation: mandatory

  • Resource Description
    1. Type: text
    2. Obligation: mandatory if applicable
    3. Domain: free text

  • Distribution Liability
    1. Type: text
    2. Obligation: mandatory
    3. Domain: free text

  • Standard Order Process
    1. Type: compound
    2. Obligation: mandatory if applicable
    • Non-digital Form
      1. Type: text
      2. Obligation: mandatory
      3. Domain: free text

    • Digital Form
      1. Type: compound
      2. Obligation: mandatory
      • Digital Transfer Information
        1. Type: compound
        2. Obligation: mandatory
        • Format Name
          1. Type: text
          2. Obligation: mandatory
          3. Domain: refer to the Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata

        • Format Version Number
          1. Type: text
          2. Obligation: mandatory
          3. Domain: free text

        • Format Version Date
          1. Type: date
          2. Obligation: mandatory
          3. Domain: free date

        • Format Specification
          1. Type: text
          2. Obligation: mandatory if applicable
          3. Domain: free text

        • Format Information Content
          1. Type: text
          2. Obligation mandatory
          3. Domain: free text

        • File Decompression Technique
          1. Type: text
          2. Obligation: mandatory if applicable
          3. Domain: "No compression applied" free text

        • Transfer Size
          1. Type: real
          2. Obligation: mandatory
          3. Domain: Transfer Size > 0.0

      • Digital Transfer Option
        1. Type: compound
        2. Obligation: mandatory
        • Online Option
          1. Type: compound
          2. Obligation: mandatory
          • Computer Contact Information
            1. Type: compound
            2. Obligation: mandatory
            • Network Address
              1. Type: compound
              2. Obligation: mandatory
              • Network Resource Name
                1. Type: text
                2. Obligation: mandatory
                3. Domain: free text

            • Dialup Instructions
              1. Type: compound
              2. Obligation: mandatory
              • Dialup Telephone
                1. Type: text
                2. Obligation: mandatory
                3. Domain: free text

              • Dialup File Name
                1. Type: text
                2. Obligation: mandatory
                3. Domain: free text

        • Offline Option
          1. Type: compound
          2. Obligation: mandatory
          • Offline Media
            1. Type: text
            2. Obligation: mandatory
            3. Domain: "CD-ROM" "3-1/2 inch floppy disk" "5-1/4 inch floppy disk" "9-track tape" "4 mm cartridge tape" "8 mm cartridge tape" "1/4-inch cartridge tape" free text

    • Fees
      1. Type: text
      2. Obligation: mandatory
      3. Domain: "None" free text

    • Ordering Instructions
      1. Type: text
      2. Obligation: mandatory
      3. Domain: free text

    • Turnaround
      1. Type: text
      2. Obligation: mandatory if applicable
      3. Domain: free text

  • Custom Order Process
    1. Type: text
    2. Obligation: mandatory if applicable
    3. Domain: free text

  • Technical Prerequisites
    1. Type: text
    2. Obligation: mandatory
    3. Domain: "None" free text

  • Available Time Period
    1. Type: compound
    2. Obligation: mandatory

• Metadata Reference Information
  1. Type: compound
  2. Obligation: mandatory
  • Metadata Date
    1. Type: date
    2. Obligation: mandatory
    3. Domain: free date

  • Metadata Review Date
    1. Type: date
    2. Obligation: mandatory if applicable
    3. Domain: free date

  • Metadata Standard Name
    1. Type: text
    2. Obligation: mandatory
    3. Domain: free text

  • Metadata Standard Version
    1. Type: text
    2. Obligation: mandatory
    3. Domain: free text

  • Metadata Time Convention
    1. Type: text
    2. Obligation: mandatory
    3. Domain: "Local time" "Local time with time differential factor" "Universal time"

Citation Information =

Refer to Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata: Citation Information Section

Time Period Information =

Refer to Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata: Time Period Information Section

Contact Information =

Refer to Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata: Contact Information Section

Geospatially Referenced Cultural and Demographic Data User-defined Metadata --

Mandatory compound and data elements considered essential for describing the cultural and demographic content of data sets defined by sources other than the Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Data Metadata. The obligation assigned all compound and data elements of the Geospatially Referenced Cultural and Demographic Data User-Defined Metadata Elements is mandatory or mandatory if applicable.

The obligation of this section is mandatory--it must be completed by the metadata producer.

Name, definition, production rules, types, and domains are provided below. Additionally, source and the element from the Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata the compound or data element leads or follows is given.

Geospatially Referenced Cultural and Demographic Data User-defined Metadata Elements =

1{Geographic Extent}n +

1{Main Theme}n

0{Tag}n

Geographic Extent =

Geographic Extent Description +

1{Geographic Entity}n

Geographic Entity =

1{Geographic Entity Type +

0{Missing Geography}n }n

Missing Geography =

0{Missing Geographic Entity Unit Identifier}1 +

1{Missing Geographic Entity Unit}n }n

Main Theme =

Definition/Classification +

1{ 1{Major Theme Description}n +

0{ 0{Minor Theme Description}n +

0{[Computed Value | Scalar}1 }n }n

------------------------------------------------------

Geographic Extent --

the geographic areal domain of the data set. Consists of:

• Source: the Subcommittee
• Type: compound
• Obligation: mandatory
• Follows: South Bounding Coordinate

Geographic Extent Description --

a brief description of the maximum geographic coverage of he data set, generally a common name of the geographic region/entity/area

• Source: the Subcommittee
• Type: text
• Obligation: mandatory
• Follows: Geographic Extent
• Domain: free text

Geographic Entity --

describes the geographic entity(s) for which data is collected, analyzed, and/or presented. Consists of:

• Source: the Subcommittee
• Type: compound
• Obligation: mandatory
• Follows: Geographic Extent Description

Geographic Entity Type --

the type of geographic entity for which data is collected, analyzed, and/or presented.

• Source: the Subcommittee
• Type: text
• Obligation: mandatory
• Follows: Geographic Entity
• Domain: "Hydrographic" "Legal, administrative" "Statistical, thematic"

Geographic Entity Unit --

The geographic unit(s) of the indicated geographic entity type for which data is collected, analyzed, and/or presented.

• Source: the Subcommittee
• Type: text
• Obligation: mandatory
• Follows: Geographic Entity Type
• Domain:
  • If Geographic Entity Type is "Hydrographic" select from "Coastal Drainage Area (CDA)" "Coastal, estuarine waters" "Drainage basin" "Estuarine Drainage Area (EDA)" "Fluvial Coastal Drainage Area (FCDA)" "Fluvial Drainage Area (FDA)" "National water quality assessment program study site" "Port" "Waterbody" "Wetlands" free text
  • If Geographic Entity Type is "Legal, administrative" select from "United States" "American entity trust land" "American indian reservation" "American indian reservation with trust land" "Alaska native village" "Alaska native regional corporation" "Congressional district" "Consolidated city" "County" "Incorporated place" "Minor civil division" "Neighborhood" "Outlying area" "School district" "State" "Voting district" "ZIP code" free text
  • If Geographic Entity Type is "Statistical, thematic" select from "Alaska native village statistical area" "Block" "Block group" "Census county division" "Census designated place" "Census tract or block numbering area" "Central city" "Central place" "Consolidated metropolitan statistical area" "Division" "Enumeration district" "Metropolitan statistical area" "National forest" "National monument" "National park" "Primary metropolitan statistical area" "Public domain" "Region: national" "The world" "Traffic analysis zone" "tribal designated statistical area" "Tribal jurisdiction statistical area" "Urbanized area" free text

Missing Geography --

specific geographic of the identified Geographic Entity Unit which logically should be included in the data set (i.e. are within the Bounding Coordinates) but are missing from the data set coverage.

• Source: the Subcommittee
• Type: compound
• Obligation: mandatory if applicable
• Follows: Geographic Entity Unit

Missing Geographic Entity Unit Identifier --

the system for identifying any missing Geographic Entity Units.

• Source: the Subcommittee
• Type: text
• Obligation: mandatory
• Follows: Missing Geography
• Domain: free text

Missing Geographic Entity Unit --

the identifier for a missing Geographic Entity Unit, reported in the identified Missing Geographic Entity Unit Identifier system.

• Source: the Subcommittee
• Type: text
• Obligation: mandatory
• Follows: Missing Geography
• Domain: free text

Main Theme --

identifies and describes a main component of the cultural and demographic content of the data set. Consists of:

• Source: the Subcommittee
• Type: compound
• Obligation: mandatory
• Follows: Theme Keyword (the first Main Theme follows the last Theme Keyword if multiple instances of Theme Keyword are given)

Definition/Classification --

verbal description defining terms and/or the data set classification system(s) or a reference to their location. The reference may be either printer material or another data set.

• Source: the Subcommittee
• Type: text
• Obligation: mandatory
• Follows: Main Theme
• Domain: free text

Major Theme Description --

brief description of a major component (main topic) of the cultural and demographic content of the data set. Nesting of Major Theme Descriptions allows elaboration on previous-level entry(s) until a component of the cultural and demographic data set is considered adequately described.

• Source: the Subcommittee Type: text
• Obligation: mandatory
• Follows: Definition/Classification
• Domain: "Agriculture" "Archeology" "Architecture, art" "Archives, museum, museum collections" "Attitudes, outlook" "Banking, finance, insurance" "Business enterprise" "Communications" "Construction" "Customs" "Diet, traditional foods" "Domestic trade, service" "Economics" "Education" "Energy" "Environment" "Family life" "Finances, employment (federal)" "Finances, employment (state, local)" "finances, employment (corporate)" "Fisheries" "Foreign trade, commerce" "Forests, forest products" "Geography" "Government, politics" "Health, nutrition" "Heritage" "History" "Housing" "Income, expenditures, wealth" "Industrialization" "Labor force, employment, earnings" "Language" "Law enforcement, courts, prisons" "Manufacturers" "Migration, naturalization" "Mining, mining products" "National defense, veterans affairs" "Nationality" "Navigation" "Parks, recreation" "Population" "Prices" "Science, technology" "Settlement" "Skills" "Social insurance, Human services" "Transportation" "Vital statistics" "War" free text

Minor Theme Description --

brief description of a minor component of the cultural and demographic content of the data set used to further describe either the Major Theme Description or the previous level Minor Theme Description. Nesting of Minor Theme Descriptions allows elaboration on previous-level entry(s) until a component of the cultural and demographic data set is considered adequately described.

• Source: the Subcommittee
• Type: text
• Obligation: mandatory if applicable
• Follows: Major Theme Description or Minor Theme Description
• Domain: "Abortions" "Accidents, safety" "Acquisitions" "Acreage" "Activities" "Age composition" "Aid" "Air, land, water" "Aircraft" "Amount" "Alien registration" "Armed forces" "Arrests, sentences, appeals" "Assets, liabilities" "Attendance" "Benefits" "Biota" "Births, deaths" "Boundary" "Building" "Businesses" "Campaigns" "Capacity" "Capital punishment" "Cargo" "Care" "Catch" "Cause" "Cemetery" "Climate" "Commercia"l "Commuters, drivers" "Composition" "Conditions" "Consumption" "Contaminants "Courts "Crime "Criminal justice system" "Criminals" "Crops" "Currency" "Debt" "Disability" "Disposal" "Distribution" "Educational status" "Educators" "Emigration" "Employees" "Employers" "Employment" "Endangered species" "Enrollment" "Equipment" "Ethnic stock" "Expenditure" "Facilities" "Family relationships" "Farms" "Fees, royalties" "Fertility" "Fertilizers" "Finances" "Fish kills" "Flow of funds accounts" "Foreign trade" "Forest system, national" "Franchising "Freight" "Funding" "Government "Grants, credits" "Gross national product" "Health" "Highways" "Holdings" "Housing unit" "Illiteracy" "Immigration" "Income" "Index" "Industry" "Institutions" "Insurance" "Investments" "Investors" "Irrigation" "Jurisdiction" "Labor force" "Landing strip" "Law enforcement" "Licenses" "Life expectancy" "Livestock" "Local expert" "Location" "Machinery" "Marital status" "Migration" "Monument" "Morbidity" "Mortgages" "Mutual funds" "National defense" "Nativity" "Naturalization" "New, failure" "Nutrition" "Occupation" "Offenses" "Officers" "Officials" "Organizations" "Organizations, labor" "Ownership" "Parks and forests" "Parole "Passengers" "Patents, trademarks" "Payroll" "Personal wealth" "Pesticides" "Pipelines" "Place of work" "Postal service" "Poverty status" "Precipitation" "Price" "Prisons" "Processing" "Producers" "Production" "Products" "Programs" "Protected areas" "Proximity" "Quality" "Quantity" "Race" "Rail" "Recipients" "Recovery" "Registrations" "Regulations" "Remote access" "Research and development" "Reserves" "Residence" "Resources" "Revenue" "Roads" "Rural" "Sales "Savings" "Securities" "Sediments" "Sex composition" "Shellfish" "Shipbuilding" "Shipments" "Site" "Size" "Space program" "Students" "Subscriptions" "Subsistence" "Sunshine" "Supply, demand" "Tax" "Temperature" "Tourism" "Trade origin, destination" "Traffic hubs" "Transactions" "Travel" "Travelers" "Type" "Unemployment" "Urban" "Usage, utilization" "Value" "Value added" "Vehicles" "Vessels" "Veterans" "Veterans affairs" "Victims" "Visitation" "Volume" "Vote cast" "Voters" "Wages, earnings" "Waste" "Wildfires" "Wind speed" "Years completed" free text

Computed Value --

indicates data set values are computed values by specifying the computed components and their relationships. For example, "persons per square acre" indicates a computed value appears in the data set.

• Source: the Subcommittee
• Type: text
• Obligation: mandatory if applicable
• Follows: Major Theme Description or Minor Theme Description (always follows final Major Theme Description or Minor Theme Description in the event of a hierarchical path.)
• Domain: free text

Scalar --

factor allowing the determination of actual data values when applied to the given data set domain values. For example, "in thousands" indicates the data set domain values must be multiplied by 1,000 to obtain actual data values.

• Source: the Subcommittee
• Type: text
• Obligation: mandatory if applicable
• Follows: Major Theme Description or Minor Theme Description (always follows final Major Theme Description or Minor Theme Description in the event of a hierarchical path.)
• Domain: free text

Tag --

additional information or identifier included for internal reference purposes. Tag does not need to be explained to nor necessarily understood by the general consumer of the metadata; it allows the metadata producer to interpret or translate the common set of metadata terminology and definitions to the metadata producer's unique terminology within the metadata itself.

• Source: the Subcommittee
• Type:text
• Obligation: optional
• Follows (or precedes): any compound or data element
• Domain: free text

Appendix B: Alphabetical List of Compound and Data Elements

• Identification Information
  • Citation
    • Citation Information
      • Originator
      • Publication Date (Data Set Date)
      • Title
  • Description
    • Abstract
    • Purpose (Purpose for Collection)
  • Time Period of Content
    • Time Period Information
    • Currentness Reference
  • Status
    • Progress (Data Set Status)
    • Maintenance and Update Frequency (Update Schedule)
  • Spatial Domain
    • Bounding Coordinates (Extents)
      • West Bounding Coordinate (West Coordinate)
      • East Bounding Coordinate (East Coordinate)
      • North Bounding Coordinate (North Coordinate)
      • South Bounding Coordinate (South Coordinate)
    • Geographic Extent
      • Geographic Extent Description
      • Geographic Entity
        • Geographic Entity Type
          • Geographic Entity Unit
          • Missing Geography
            • Missing Geographic Entity Unit Identifier
            • Missing Geographic Entity Unit
  • Keywords
    • Theme
      • Theme Keyword
        • Main Theme
          • Definition/Classification
          • Major Theme Description
            • Minor Theme Description
              • Computed Value
              • Scalar
      • Place
        • Place Keyword
  • Access Constraints
  • Use Constraints
  • Point of Contact
    • Contact Information (Contact)
      • Contact Person Primary (Contact Person)
      • Contact Organization Primary (Contact Organization)
      • Contact Address
        • Address Type
        • Address
        • City
        • State
        • Postal Code (ZIP)
      • Contact Voice Telephone (Telephone)
  • Security Information
    • Security Classification System
    • Security Classification
    • Security Handling Description
• Data Quality Information
  • Attribute Accuracy
    • Attribute Accuracy Report
    • Quantitative Attribute Accuracy Assessment
      • Attribute Accuracy Value
      • Attribute Accuracy Explanation
  • Logical Consistency Report
  • Completeness Report
  • Positional Accuracy
    • Horizontal Positional Accuracy
      • Horizontal Positional Accuracy Report
      • Quantitative Horizontal Positional Accuracy Assessment
        • Horizontal Positional Accuracy Value
        • Horizontal Positional Accuracy Explanation
    • Vertical Positional Accuracy
      • Vertical Positional Accuracy Report
      • Quantitative Vertical Positional Accuracy Assessment
        • Vertical Positional Accuracy Value
        • Vertical Positional Accuracy Explanation
  • Lineage
    • Source Information
      • Source Citation
        • Citation Information
          • Originator (Source Used)
      • Source Scale Denominator
      • Source Time Period of Content
        • Time Period Information
        • Source Currentness Reference
      • Source Citation Abbreviation
      • Source Contribution
    • Process Step
      • Process Description
      • Source Used Citation Abbreviation
      • Process Date
      • Process Time
      • Source Produced Citation Abbreviation
• Distribution Information
  • Distributor
  • Contact Information
  • Resource Description
  • Distribution Liability
  • Standard Order Process
    • Non Digital Form
    • Digital Form
      • Digital Transfer Information
        • Format Name (Data Set's Locl Identifier)
        • Format Version Number
        • Format Version Date
        • Format Specification (Data Set's Local Format)
        • Format Information Content
        • File Decompression Technique (File Decompression Used)
        • Transfer Size
      • Digital Transfer Options
        • Online Option
          • Computer Contact Information
            • Network Address
              • Network Resource Name (Data Set's Computer Location)
            • Dialup Instructions
              • Dialup Telephone
              • Dialup File Name
        • Offline Option
          • Offline Media
    • Fees
    • Ordering Instructions
    • Turnaround
  • Custom Order Process
  • Technical Prerequisites
  • Available Time Period
    • Time Period Information
• Metadata Reference Information
  • Metadata Date
  • Metadata Review
  • Metadata Standard Name (Metadata Standard Used)
  • Metadata Standard Version
  • Metadata Time Convention

Editor's Note: The data element "Tag" may be placed preceding or following any of the above compound or data elements.

Domain: Geographic Unit A brief definition of each item.

• If GEOGRAPHIC ENTITY TYPE = HYDROGRAPHIC

  Coastal Drainage Area (CDA) -

  That component of an entire watershed that meets the following criteria: 1) it is not part of any Estuarine Drainage Area (EDA) or Fluvial Drainage Area (FDA); 2) it drains directly into an ocean, estuary, or the Great Lakes; and 3) it is composed of only the downstream-most hydrologic cataloging unit (HUC) in which the head-of-tide is found.

  Coastal, estuarine waters -

  A unique geographic component of wetlands, this area consists of deepwater tidal habitats, tidal wetlands, and drainage channels adjacent to the sea in which the tide ebbs and flows.

  Drainage Basin-

  A geographic unit (valley) whose area contributes water to and is drained by a drainage system (one stream and its tributaries). Drainage basins are separated by divides. A drainage basin may also be referred to as a watershed; if so, technically the drainage rim is considered to be part of the watershed.

  Estuarine Drainage Area (EDA) -

  That component of an estuary's entire watershed that empties directly into the estuary and is affected by tides. EDAs may be composed of a portion of a single hydrologic cataloging unit (HUC), an entire HUC, more than one HUC, or several HUCs and portions of several adjacent HUCs.

  Fluvial Coastal Drainage Areas (FCDAs) -

  Those components of coastal watersheds that lie "upstream" Coastal Drainage Area (CDA) boundaries.

  Fluvial Drainage Area (FDA) -

  The component's of an estuary's entire watershed "upstream" of the Estuarine Drainage Area (EDA).

  National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program Study Site -

  Geographic units identified by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) for the purpose of monitoring water quality. The USGS divides the United States into 60 sites delineated on the basis of river basins, ground water, and/or political boundaries.

  Port -

  An area where ships may ride secure. The area often has facilities for the taking on and discharging of cargo from ships; the facilities may include a place where foreign goods are cleared through a customshouse and aliens are permitted to enter a country.

  Waterbody -

  A geographic area delineated by the extent of its surface water; no particular size criteria exists.

  Wetlands -

  A geographic unit containing lands transitional between terrestrial and aquatic systems where the saturation with water is the dominate factor in determining the nature of soil development and the types of plant and animal communities living in the soil and in its surface. Wetlands include a wide variety of areas; several classification schemes are used by Federal agencies/organizations.

• IF GEOGRAPHIC ENTITY TYPE = LEGAL, ADMINISTRATIVE

  Nation -

  An area under the jurisdiction of a sovereign government, excluding the United States.

  United States -

  The 50 states and the District of Columbia.

  The following Legal, Administrative geographic entities/areas are recognized within the United States. A majority of the Geographic_Unit definitions are adapted from definitions included by the Census Bureau in its standard decennial census products.

  American Entity trust land(s) -

  American Indian Reservation (AIR) associated on- or off-reservation lands held in trust for either the tribe (tribal trust lands) or an individual tribe member (individual trust lands) by the Federal government.

  American Indian reservation (AIR) -

  A legal entity over which American Indians have governmental jurisdiction. The boundaries of AIRs were established by treaty, statute, and/or executive or court order and are identified by either the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) for Federal reservations or the individual States for State reservations.

  American Indian reservation with trust land(s) -

  An AIR and its associated on- or off-reservation lands held in trust for either the tribe (tribal trust lands) or an individual tribe member (individual trust lands) by the Federal Government.

  Alaska Native village (ANV) -

  A local Alaskan governmental unit consisting of a tribe, band, clan, village, community, and association recognized pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) with boundaries identified by an appropriate authority.

  Alaska Native Regional Corporation (ANRC) -

  A corporate entity established by the ANCSA. Alaska is divided into 12 ANRCs that cover the entire State, except for the Annette Islands Reserve. Boundaries are established by the Department of the Interior in cooperation with Alaska Natives. (A 13th ANRC without associated land area was established for Alaska Natives who are not permanent residents of Alaska.)

  Congressional district (CD) -

  An area established by State officials or the courts for the purpose of electing a person to the U.S. House of Representatives. Within each State, these areas must contain, as nearly as possible, an equal number of inhabitants.

  Consolidated city -

  An incorporated place that has combined its governmental functions with a county or subcounty entity but contains one or more other incorporated places that continue to function as local governments within the consolidated government.

  County -

  Primary legal subdivision of every State except Alaska (referred to as parishes in Louisiana.) The legal geographic unit county is expanded in this documentation to include the following statistically equivalent areas to provide "complete" national coverage: boroughs and census areas in Alaska which has no counties, cities that are independent (independent cities) of any county organization located in Maryland, Missouri, Nevada, and Virginia, that part of Yellowstone National Park in Montana, and the District of Colombia.

  Incorporated place -

  A governmental unit, incorporated under State law as a city, town (except in New England, New York, and Wisconsin), borough (except in Alaska and New York), or village, having legally prescribed limits, powers, and functions.

  Minor civil division (MCD) -

  Primary legal subdivision of 28 states, created to either govern or administer an area rather than a specific population. The several types of MCDs are identified as town, township, district, and include both functioning and nonfunctioning governmental units. The legal geographic unit MCD is expanded in this documentation to include the following statistically equivalent areas to provide "complete" national coverage: census subareas in Alaska, census county divisions (CCD) delineated by the Census Bureau for statistical purposes in 21 states, and the District of Columbia.

  Neighborhood -

  A subarea within a local governmental unit, usually an incorporated place or county, having legally defined boundaries.

  Outlying Area -

  Areas, other than States and the District of Columbia, under the jurisdiction of the United States. For the 1990 Census, these areas included American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands of the United States, and several small islands in the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. (Outlying areas are considered statistically equivalent to States.)

  School district -

  The territory administered by the elected or appointed authorities of a State, county, or other local governmental unit to provide educational services to a resident population.

  State -

  Primary legal subdivision of the United States, including the District of Columbia as a statistically equivalent area. (Outlying Areas are also statistically equivalent, however, they are noted as a unique geographic entity/area in this documentation.)

  Trail -

  A cleared path, beaten track, or improved surface, as through woods or wilderness, not usually trafficked by vehicles because of width, conditions, or access restrictions.

  Voting district (VTD) -

  Any of a variety of areas, such as election districts, precincts, legislative districts, or wards, established by States and local governments for voting purposes. Also referred to as election precincts (EP) in the 1980 census.

  ZIP Code -

  An area encompassing a section of a street, a collection of streets, an establishment, a structure, a group of post office boxes, and so forth which is assigned the same 5-, 7- or 9-digit code by the U.S. Postal Service.

• IF GEOGRAPHIC ENTITY TYPE = STATISTICAL, THEMATIC

  Alaska Native village statistical area (ANVSA) -

  A 1990 census entity that represents the densely settled extent of an ANV as delineated for the Census Bureau by officials of the ANRC in which the ANVSA is located, or by other appropriate officials.

  Block -

  The smallest entity for which the Census Bureau collects and tabulates decennial census information.

  Block group (BG) -

  A combination of census blocks that is a subdivision of a census tract (CT) or block numbering area (BNA). A BG consists of all blocks whose numbers begin with the same digit in a given CT or BNA.

  Census county division (CCD) -

  A statistical subdivision of a county, established cooperatively by the Census Bureau and State and local government authorities, for the presentation of decennial census data in 21 states which do not have legally established MCDs or whose MCDs do not serve a legal or administrative governmental purpose, are not well known, have poorly defined boundaries, and/or have frequent boundary changes.

  Census designated place (CDP) -

  A statistical entity, defined for each decennial census according to Census Bureau guidelines, comprising a densely settled concentration of population that is not within an incorporated place, but is locally identified by a name. Known as unincorporated places for the 1940 through 1970 censuses.

  Census tract or block numbering area (CT/BNA) -

  A CT is a small, relatively permanent statistical subdivision of a county in a metropolitan area (MA) delineated by a local committee of census data users. CTs are designed to be relatively homogeneous units with respect to population characteristics, and usually contain between 2,500 and 8,000 inhabitants. A BNA is an area delineated by State officials or by the Census Bureau for the purpose of grouping and numbering decennial census blocks in counties or statistically equivalent entities in which census tracts have not been established. CTs and BNAs are equivalent in the Census Bureau's geographical hierarchy.

  Central city -

  The core incorporated city(ies) or MCDs of a MA. From the 1950 through 1980 censuses, the central city may also refer to an urbanized area (UA), usually consisting of the most populous incorporated city(ies).

  Central place -

  The core incorporated place(s) or CDP(s) of a UA, usually consisting of the most populous place(s) in the UA. First used in the 1990 census to recognize a CDP as the most populous place in a UA.

  Consolidated metropolitan statistical area (CMSA) -

  An area designated as a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) and having a population of 1,000,000 or more may become a CMSA if component parts are recognized as primary metropolitan statistical areas (PMSAs) and if local opinion favors the designation. Prior to 1990, CMSAs were called standard consolidated statistical areas (SCSAs) and standard consolidated areas (SCAs).

  Division -

  Any subdivision of international and/or national region(s) established for the collection/presentation of data. Divisions are intended to represent relatively homogeneous areas that are the subdivision of regions.

  Enumeration district (ED) -

  A small geographic area established and used by the Census Bureau as the basic unit for data collection and tabulation in decennial and special censuses prior to 1990. An ED usually consisted of the area to be assigned to an individual enumerator for canvassing. The ED was replaced by the address register area (ARA) for data collection purposes in the 1990 decennial census.

  Metropolitan statistical area (MSA) -

  A geographic entity, defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB) as a statistical standard for Federal agencies, consisting of one or more contiguous counties (cities and towns in New England) that contain a core area (city with a population of 50,000 or more or a UA) within a large population nucleus and adjacent communities having a high degree of economic and social integration with the core. If the MSA is defined on the basis of a UA core, the total MSA population must be at least 100,000 (75,000 in New England). MSAs were referred to as standard metropolitan areas (SMAs) during the 1950's and standard metropolitan statistical areas (SMSAs) from 1960 through 1980.

  National Forest -

  A large expanse of forest that is protected by the Federal government and that may be harvested only under controlled conditions.

  National Monument -

  A natural landmark or a structure or site of historic interest set aside by the Federal government and maintained for enjoyment or study by the public.

  National Park -

  A tract of land declared public property by the Federal government with a view to its preservation and development for purposes of recreation and culture.

  Primary metropolitan statistical area (PMSA) -

  An area meeting the requirements of an MSA and having a population of one million or more. Two or more PMSAs may be defined within this area if statistical criteria are met and local opinion favors the designation.

  Public domain -

  Lands owned directly by the Federal government.

  Region: International -

  Any statistical or thematic region(s) outside the United States established for the collection/analysis/presentation of data.

  Region: National -

  Any statistical or thematic region(s) within the United States established for the collection/analysis/presentation of data.

  The World -

  Any statistical or thematic region(s) consisting of both international and national coverage established for the collection/analysis/presentation of data.

  Traffic analysis zone (TAZ) -

  A special-purpose geographic entity delineated by a metropolitan planning organization (MPO) for tabulating transportation statistics from the decennial census.

  Trail -

  A cleared path, beaten track, or improved surface, as through woods or wilderness, not usually trafficked by vehicles because of width, conditions, or access restrictions.

  Tribal designated statistical area (TDSA) -

  An area defined by an American Indian tribal government that does not have a land area certified by the BIA or a State government. A TDSA cannot exist in Oklahoma.

  Tribal jurisdiction statistical area (TJSA) -

  An area defined by American Indian tribal governments to approximate their former reservation boundaries. TJSAs exist only in Oklahoma.

  Urbanized area (UA) -

  An area consisting of a central place(s) and adjacent fringe that together have a minimum residential population of at least 50,000 people and generally an overall population density of at least 1,000 people per square mile of land area.