Center for International Earth Science Information Network
Record Writing Tips
1. Completing Fields
All applicable fields for a metadata record should be completed where
possible. Some information may not be available or cannot be
recovered, and some fields do not necessarily apply to every data
set. When the information cannot be obtained or would not make sense,
the field should be left blank.
Some fields are required, meaning they must be present in the
metadata record for it to load successfully into our local
database. These fields are Title and Originator [Author].
Other fields are deemed critical, meaning they are important
for data set search/retrieval, comprehension, and access. These fields
include the Abstract, Purpose, Time Period of Content, Spatial Domain
(Bounding Coordinates), Keywords, Access and Usage Constraints,
Technical Contact, and Distributor.
The Mandatory Metadata Elements
document provides definitions, formats, and examples for all fields
(elements and sub-elements).
2. Citation
The data set producer should be consulted when generating the
Citation for a data set. The Citation indicates how the data
set should be cited in the professional scientific literature.
3. Title
The Title of a data set should be descriptive enough so that
the user can determine the content of the data set; utilize metadata
elements such as the abstract, keywords, time period of content, and
project.
4. Abstract
An Abstract should be clear and concise so that the user is
able to determine whether the data set is appropriate for their
needs. Content should include the data set name, keywords
(representing product(s), measured quantities, geographic location),
time period of content, data collection methodology, data processing,
available format(s), and organizations associated with producing the
data set.
5. Keywords
Keywords should accurately represent the content of a data set
to insure the proper retrieval of the metadata record. Theme
and Place Keywords are entered for every metadata record.
For the Global Population of the World (GPW), Version 2.0 data set,
GCMD "controlled" Parameter (Theme) keywords are:
EARTH SCIENCE > Human Dimensions > Population > Population Distribution
EARTH SCIENCE > Human Dimensions > Population > Population Size
CIESIN "controlled" Theme keywords are:
CIESIN > Population Dynamics > Demographic Characteristics > Population Distribution
CIESIN > Population Dynamics > Demographic Characteristics > Population Size
CIESIN "uncontrolled" General Theme keywords generated at the discretion of the writer are:
GPW Version 2
GPW v2
Global Population
Population Density
Population Estimates
Population Projections
Population Studies
CIESIN "controlled" Place keywords are:
Go to the Next Page
Go to the Previous Page
Go to the Table of Contents