Federal Facilities Public Health Assessment Data Catalog System Guidelines
Introduction
The Consortium for International Earth Science Information Network
(CIESIN), in partnership with the US Environmental Protection Agency
(US EPA) and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
(ATSDR), has developed and implemented the Federal Facilities Public
Health Assessment Data Catalog System. This System utilizes indexed
metadata to provide access to data and information relevant to public
health assessments at Federal Facilities. The Federal Facilities Public
Health Assessment Data Catalog System is composed of two major
components: Catalog Administration and Catalog Access. Catalog
Administration contains a Metadata Administration module, an interactive
data cataloging tool which facilitates the creation and management of
metadata, and allows administrators to publish metadata on the World
Wide Web. The Catalog Access module allows users to search for and
retrieve metadata records relevant to specific Federal Facilities via the
World Wide Web.
Purpose and Applicability of this Document
This document, The Federal Facilities Public Health Assessment Data
Catalog System Guidelines, contains information necessary to create
and administer a metadata collection relevant to the Agency for Toxic
Substances and Disease Registry using the Federal Facilities Public
Health Assessment Data Catalog System. It is actually a collection of
documents with these key components:
- CIESIN Metadata Guidelines contains definitions of
metadata attributes available for use in the Metadata Administration
module, and examples of how to create and format the metadata.
Items marked with an asterisk (*) are considered mandatory for all
metadata administrators.
- Supplemental Metadata Guidelines for ATSDR contains
definitions of metadata attributes which provide specialized data
description to enhance metadata access and increase usefulness of
data relevant to ATSDR staff and other users. Most supplemental
attributes occur in the 'ATSDR Keywords' and the 'Keywords' sections
of the Metadata Administration module. The Supplemental Metadata
Guidelines for ATSDR include instructions for use of each
attribute and examples of how to create and format the metadata.
Approved keywords are provided where relevant. Items marked with
an asterisk (*) are considered mandatory for ATSDR metadata
administrators.
- Indexing Vocabularies. In appropriate sections (ATSDR
Keywords and Keywords), the Metadata Administration module requires
the use of several thesauri or lists containing approved indexing
terms. Selection of the appropriate vocabulary is indicated in the
Guidelines. In addition to the lists of keywords presented in the
Supplemental Metadata Guidelines for ATSDR, these two indexing
vocabularies are specified for ATSDR use:
CIESIN Indexing Vocabulary, version 2.0
CIESIN Location Terms, version 2.0
- Administration System Guidelines [Under Development]
- Access System [Gateway] Guidelines [Under Development]
Additional instructions and help are provided online in both the Catalog
Administration and Catalog Access modules. Metadata administrators are
asked to be familiar with and use these resources when creating and
managing metadata for ATSDR.
© 1997, 1998. CIESIN.
Revised: February 1998.
URL: http://www.ciesin.org/metadata/documentation/ATSDR/
For more information contact CIESIN User Services:
E-mail: ciesin.info@ciesin.org,
Telephone: +1-517-797-2727.
