Entering metadata
Metadata Editor Tool
Before a dataset can be published by reBiND it is necessary to either upload a metadata file or create a metadata file using the reBiND software. We have implemented a tool consisting of a series of web-forms for capturing the metadata. The Metadata Editor tool is based on Ecological Metadata Language (EML). The specification for EML is available from 'The Knowledge Network for Biocomplexity'. We are using a subset of EML to describe the essential data most frequently used by our data providers. For example, Title, Abstract, Owner, Content and Usage Rights. Usage rights can be used to link to code of conduct, copyright statement and any license information. The tool can also be used to enter coverage information (Geographical, Temporal and Taxonomic) and scientific methods that were used to collect the data. The following screenshots show the series of forms for entering the metadata:
The above screenshot shows the description form in the Metadata Capture Tool. The description should distinguish your data from other data and provide an abstract to describe key features, study design or methods used in the study. Any metadata already contained in the CBD data files - such as abcd:Title and abcd:Details is transferred to the EML file and is pre-polulated in the metadata capture form, thereby saving the user from entering the data again.
