Metadata standards

Purpose

  • Ensure every HRL dataset is accompanied by complete, machine-readable metadata aligned with FAIR and CARE commitments.

Metadata package components

  • Plain-language summaries, contacts, temporal/spatial coverage, methods, QA/QC descriptions, and licensing.
  • Data dictionaries describing variables, units, types, allowed values, and file relationships.

Standards to cite

  • Ecological Metadata Language (EML) for EDI submissions, plus JSON/CSV metadata for curated datasets and catalog entries.
  • Alignment with HRL schema/vocabulary registries and provenance expectations.

Authoring workflow

  • Capture metadata at collection, refine during static publication, verify during ingestion/storage, and keep catalog entries synchronized.
  • Tools/templates (Quarto forms, scripts) for building metadata packages efficiently.

Validation and stewardship

  • Automated linting/validation, metadata review gates, and linkage to QA/QC evidence.
  • Procedures for updating metadata when datasets change versions, including changelog references.

Sensitive data considerations

  • Document CARE-aligned restrictions, access notes, and embargo policies directly in metadata records.