Motivation represents the greatest challenge
and it requires various approaches. Strategies must
be employed to initiate and sustain metadata creation
activities. The following is a list of activities that
we propose to undertake to support the creation of metadata.
They represent a combination of support mechanisms,
ranging from indirect contact to outreach programmes
that entail workshops, and collaborative efforts.
-
organise travelling workshops around
the UK, within universities, to promote metadata
creation, metadata profiles and guidelines (the
workshops would also be used to introduce attendees
to the Go-Geo! portal technology;
-
the attendees would be asked in
advance to bring information about a dataset so
that metadata could be created as part of the demonstration
process);
-
make proactive requests for metadata
creation through general emails to mailing lists
associated with geo-data services such as Digimap
and LandMap as well as more targeted letters and
follow-up email requests to known geo-data users;
-
provide on-line assistance and
guidance through expanded metadata guidelines on
the web site and, possibly, metadata creation tools,
with other ad hoc assistance for the creation of
metadata also offered;
-
provide interactive support for
metadata creation through offers to supply metadata
template forms ;
-
provide metadata quality assessments
as part of creation support, with follow-up interviews
to assure accuracy of records;
-
set up meetings with key geospatial
academics and decision makers to motivate and stimulate
interest in metadata;
-
promote the creation and support
of metadata at key GIS-related conferences, such
as, at least, GISRUK, the Association for Geographic
Information, the Institute of British Geographers,
and BURISA;
-
explore the options for using externally
produced tools (for the purposes of this work, the
working prototype developed during the demonstrator
stage would be used, however; if a tool is created,
it will be made to meet minimal data input requirements);
-
encourage journal editors to publish
metadata in relevant journals and magazines - this
would recognise and acknowledge the metadata authors'
contributions, thus providing an additional incentive
for metadata creation;
-
continue the work begun during the
Go-Geo! demonstrator project to create as large
an inventory as possible of the number and types
of datasets that exist in academia, and the distribution
of the datasets among the disciplines;
-
a questionnaire would also include
a dataset needs request to determine which datasets
are in demand;
-
offer the portal as a resource for
storing an organisation's metadata until such times
as the organisation can expose its own metadata
for searching, possibly alongside a data distribution
mechanism;
-
establish a mindset that encourages
present and future metadata creation by encouraging
the importance of metadata support among academics
and students, especially those of the generation
that has worked with geospatial systems over recent
years.
