Data Conventions and Templates

Metadata requirements

Biota identification

All data deliverables should be accompanied by the latest versions of the following documents, as applicable:

  • Monitoring and analytical methods and/or SOPs
  • Quality assurance program plans (QAPPs) and/or related QA/QC documentation
  • Data dictionaries and related data table documentation

GIS data

All GIS data deliverables should be accompanied by Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) metadata, also known as the Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata (CSDGM), in XML format. The FDGC format should be completed as thoroughly as possible. The following seven fields from Section 1 of the FGDC standard are required:

  • Title (under Identification–>Citation in ArcCatalog)
  • Publisher (under Identification–>Citation–>Details in ArcCatalog)
  • Theme (under Identification–>Keywords in ArcCatalog)
  • Abstract (under Identification–>General in ArcCatalog)
  • Purpose (under Identification–>General in ArcCatalog)
  • Spatial Extent (automatically generated in ArcCatalog)
  • Content Type (automatically generated in ArcCatalog)