Metadata Catalogs

A metadata record is a detailed description of a resource, along with access and/or ordering information, much like a card in a library catalog that describes a book and where to find it. Metadata records enable the discovery and access of data and information, and may be used to document and describe the attributes and contents of a wide variety of resources: data sets, databases, images, maps, printed documents, interactive applications, and other catalogs.

For more information on the CIESIN metadata process, go to the Metadata Section.

CIESIN's core metadata format is the FGDC Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata (CSDGM), which is used for describing its data sets in catalogs listed below. CIESIN also converts its metadata to additional formats for visibility in several other catalogs.

Socieconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC)

One of the Distributed Active Archive Centers (DAACs) within the Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) of the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center builds and maintains data sets, applications, and services at global, regional, and national scales to support the integration of socioeconomic and Earth science data. SEDAC provides several browse views of its data holdings, as well as a search tool utilizing the Google Search Appliance (GSA), for data discovery and access. Search and browse results are returned in the form of data set profiles containing authors, years of publication, abstracts, suggested citations, full FGDC metadata records, and data set visualizations, along with links to data downloads, data and project Web sites, interactive mappers, map galleries, documentation, news, FAQs and citations.

World Data Center (WDC) for Human Interactions in the Environment

One of 51 data centers within the World Data Center System, the World Data Center for Human Interactions in the Environment is a portal to a wide range of global data focusing on population, sustainability, poverty, health, hazards, conservation, governance, and climate. The WDC provides browse and search tools for data discovery and access utilizing GeoNetwork, an open source catalog application for managing spatially referenced resources developed by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Search and browse results are returned in the form of data set profiles containing authors, years of publication, abstracts, keywords, suggested citations, full FGDC metadata records, and data set visualizations, along with links to data downloads, data and project Web sites, news, FAQs and citations.

Inter-American Institute (IAI) for Global Change Research

The IAI Data and Information System (IAI-DIS) is a collaborative database system for scientific organizations in the Americas to contribute and share information about their Global Change data holdings. It is designed as a network of national nodes offering free distributed search capability at both directory and inventory levels. Participating organizations in each country remotely submit and update metadata about their assets. Currently there are nodes in Brazil and Uruguay.