The North American Profile of ISO 19115:2003 – Geographic information – Metadata (NAP – Metadata, version 1.2), referred to here as the NAP, promotes interoperability of metadata with regard to discovering, accessing, evaluating, and transferring geographic datasets and services in North America. The NAP defines a subset of the metadata elements described in ISO 19115 and ISO 19139 to use and extends the list of values included in several code lists to help describe items. This guide describes the workflows for editing metadata in ArcGIS Pro to produce content that complies with the ISO 19115 and ISO 19139 metadata standards as well as the NAP.
Configure ArcGIS Pro
The first step toward creating metadata content that complies with the NAP is to configure ArcGIS Pro correctly. On the Options dialog box, choose North American Profile of ISO 19115 2003 in the metadata style drop-down list. This ensures that when you edit metadata in the metadata view, the validation errors you see are based on NAP rules that include and expand on the rules for creating valid ISO 19115 and ISO 19139 metadata.
With this metadata style, you can view all of an item's metadata content in the catalog view. If the metadata style set in ArcGIS Pro doesn't match the metadata style used elsewhere by your organization, you may see inconsistencies when you view and edit metadata throughout the ArcGIS system.
Note:
The ArcGIS platform only works with metadata in the ArcGIS metadata format. If you have metadata content stored in the ISO 19139 XML format, it can't be used directly in ArcGIS Pro or elsewhere in the ArcGIS platform. When you try to view this metadata content in a catalog view, a message appears indicating you can't use the information. You can view this metadata content in a browser.
Create NAP-compliant metadata
You can create full ISO 19115 and ISO 19139 metadata for an item that also complies with the NAP in ArcGIS Pro using both metadata editors.
To help you get started, the following sections describe how to create metadata that satisfies the NAP rules and provides all minimum mandatory ISO 19115 and ISO 19139 metadata elements. You're not limited to creating a minimally compliant metadata document. When you provide more information, other validation rules are activated. Additional content may be required to complement the extra information you provided. Follow the same techniques described below to provide additional required content.
Use the ArcGIS Pro classic metadata editor
Follow the steps below to create metadata that meets the requirements of the North American Profile as well as the ISO 19115 and the ISO 19139 metadata standards using the ArcGIS Pro classic metadata editor.
- Edit an item's metadata in the metadata view.The metadata view appears, displaying the first metadata editor page. All pages available for editing metadata are listed in the Contents pane.
- Click each page in the Contents pane where required content is identified as being missing
and provide the appropriate content. When all required content has been provided, the page will be identified in the Contents pane as being valid
. - Apply or save your changes as appropriate.
It may take some time to complete an item's metadata. You can save your changes and finish the remainder at a later time, even if required information is missing. The next time you work on the project, the metadata view will be open to the page you worked on last.
- Close the metadata view when your work is complete.
The table below describes where you can find each metadata element to satisfy the NAP rules and provide the minimum mandatory ISO 19115 and ISO 19139 metadata elements. Each row in the table identifies a page in the ArcGIS Pro classic metadata editor. Click the page in the metadata view's Contents pane and provide the required information. The NAP contains tables where each metadata element and the rules associated with it are defined. In the requirements column, the numbers are the Clause numbers in those tables, and identify the appropriate row in the appropriate table for that metadata element.
| Metadata editor page | Fulfill NAP and ISO 19115 and 19139 requirements |
|---|---|
| Overview > Item Description |
|
| Overview > Topics & Keywords |
|
| Overview > Citation |
|
| Overview > Citation Contacts |
|
| Metadata > Details |
|
| Metadata > Contacts |
|
| Resource > Details |
|
| Resource > Service Details |
|
| Resource > Extents |
|
| Resource > Spatial Reference |
|
Use the ArcGIS metadata editor
Follow the steps below to create metadata that meets the requirements of the North American Profile as well as the ISO 19115 and the ISO 19139 metadata standards using the ArcGIS metadata editor.
- Edit an item's metadata in the metadata view.The metadata view appears, displaying the ArcGIS metadata editor's Essential Metadata page.
- Make the metadata view wide enough to see all three columns.
- In the metadata editor's third column, click the Required tab.
- Click every metadata element listed on the Required tab that does not have a green check mark and provide the appropriate content.
The metadata element gets a green check in the list when a correct value has been provided.
- Apply or save your changes as appropriate.
It may take some time to complete an item's metadata. You can save your changes and finish the remainder at a later time, even if required information is missing. The next time you work on the project, the metadata view will be open to the page you worked on last.
- Close the metadata view when your work is complete.
Metadata elements that are required for the current metadata style are listed on the Required tab in the third column of the metadata editor. The name of the card on which the metadata element appears is shown below the element's name. Some elements are included on more than one card.
Each row in the table below describes one of the elements required by the North American Profile or one of the minimum mandatory ISO 19115 or ISO 19139 metadata elements. The element's name in the ArcGIS metadata editor is shown along with the metadata editor page and the card on which the element can be found. The NAP contains tables where each metadata element and the rules associated with it are defined. The numbers in the following table are the Clause numbers in those tables, identifying the appropriate row in the appropriate table for that metadata element.
Note:
The list of elements that appears on the Required tab for the NAP metadata style is incomplete in the current version of ArcGIS Pro. However, all elements required to satisfy NAP requirements and the minimum mandatory requirements for the ISO 19115 and ISO 19139 standards are included in the table below. Some information must be provided by navigating to the appropriate location on the All Metadata page. If a metadata element is listed on the Required tab but is not included in the table below, it can be skipped when you use this metadata style.
| Metadata editor page | Fulfill NAP and ISO 19115 and 19139 requirements |
|---|---|
Title—Essential Metadata page Item Description card or Citation Title card | 5.3.1.1/5.3.2.1 citation, 5.14.1 title—Type a descriptive title for the item in the Title text box. |
Description (Abstract)—Essential Metadata page Item Description card | 5.3.1.2/5.3.2.2 abstract—Type the abstract in the Description (Abstract) text box. |
Topic Category(s)—Essential Metadata page Item Description card | 5.3.1.11 topicCategory—If the scope of the item's metadata is dataset or series, click the Topic Category(s) drop-down list and check as many values as appropriate. |
Bounding Box—Essential Metadata page Geographic Extent card | 5.3.1.13 extent, 5.13.3 Geographic Bounding Box—If the item is a dataset, you must provide either a bounding box (EX_GeographicBoundingBox) or a place identifier (EX_GeographicDescription) for the data. If a bounding box hasn't been provided automatically for the item but an extent can be provided, type coordinates in the West, East, South, and North text boxes. Or, click the Select extent button, draw a bounding rectangle on the map, and click Save. |
Place Identification Code—Essential Metadata page Geographic Description card | MD_DataIdentification.extent.EX_Extent.geographicElement—If the item is a dataset, you must provide either a bounding box (EX_GeographicBoundingBox) or a place identifier (EX_GeographicDescription) for the data. To provide a place identifier instead of a bounding box, type the appropriate information in the Place Identification Code text box on the Geographic Description section of the Extents card. To identify the registry that defines the place identifier, click the Extents link at the bottom of the Extents card. The All Metadata page is selected in the Contents pane, and is opened to the Extents card. This card has both a Geographic Extent and a Geographic Description section. If necessary, turn the Extent contains resource toggle button on. In the Geographic Description section, click the Plus (+) button under the Authority Citation heading. Type the registry's name in the Title text box. Scroll down to the Dates heading, and click the calendar button to specify a Publication Date, Creation Date, or Revision Date for this registry. If you do not want to provide a bounding box, you can remove the Geographic Extent section by clicking the Minus (-) button at the top of that section. |
Language—Essential Metadata page Resource Language card | 5.3.1.9 language—If the item is not a service, click the Language drop-down list and click an appropriate value if one hasn't already been provided. |
Resource Character Set—All Metadata page Overview > Resource Info > Character Set section, Resource Character Set card | 5.3.1.10 characterSet—If the item is not encoded in Unicode format, the encoding must be specified. Click the All Metadata page in the Contents pane. Expand the Overview > Resource Info section in the first column of the metadata editor and click the Character Set section that it contains. Click the Resource Character Set drop-down list and click the appropriate value. |
Unique Identifier Code—Essential Metadata page Citation Identifiers card | 5.3.1.1/5.3.2.1 citation, 5.14.6 identifier—If the item is a dataset, type a unique value in the Unique Identifier Code text box. |
Title—Essential Metadata page Citation Identifiers card | 5.3.1.1/5.3.2.1 citation, 5.14.6 identifier—Type the name of the authority document that defines the citation identifier in the Title text box. |
Published / Created / Updated—Essential Metadata page Citation Dates card | 5.3.1.1/5.3.2.1 citation, 5.14.3 date—Click the Calendar button for the Created, Published, or Updated date control and select an appropriate date. Add a time if the information is significant. Click the Current button next to the date and time control to insert the current date and time. Providing a revision date is recommended, when appropriate. Provide both creation and revision dates when appropriate; these values should be associated with any update information provided on the Resource > Maintenance page. |
Individual Name / Organization / Position—Essential Metadata page Citation Contacts card | 5.3.1.1/5.3.2.1 citation, 5.14.7 citedResponsibleParty—Type a name in the Individual Name, Organization, or Position text box; organization or position names are preferred. |
Role—Essential Metadata page Citation Contacts card | 5.3.1.1/5.3.2.1 citation, 5.14.7 citedResponsibleParty—Click an appropriate value in the Role drop-down list. |
Status—Essential Metadata page Status card | 5.3.1.5/5.3.2.5 status—Click an appropriate value in the Status drop-down list. If the status is On Going, provide information about when the resource will be updated next. Click the All Metadata page in the Contents pane. Expand the Quality section in the first column of the metadata editor and click the Maintenance section that it contains. Click Add section at the top. Indicate the update date or the frequency of updates. |
Metadata File Identifier—Essential Metadata page Metadata Details card | 5.2.1 fileIdentifier—Type an appropriate unique value in the File Identifier text box. |
Metadata Language—Essential Metadata page Metadata Details card | 5.2.2 language—Click the Language drop-down list and click an appropriate value if one hasn't already been provided. ArcGIS metadata is always encoded in UTF-8 format, which accommodates many languages, therefore the language used must be identified. |
Country—Essential Metadata page Metadata Details card | 5.2.2 language—Click the Country drop-down list and click the country associated with the specified language. |
Metadata Character Set—Essential Metadata page Metadata Details card | 5.2.2 characterSet—Click the Metadata Character Set drop-down list and click an appropriate value if one hasn't already been provided. ArcGIS metadata is always encoded in UTF-8 format. |
Metadata Scope (Hierarchy)—Essential Metadata page Metadata Details card | 5.2.5 hierarchyLevel—If the item is not a dataset, click the Metadata Scope (Hierarchy) drop-down list and click an appropriate value |
Metadata Parent Identifier—All Metadata page, Metadata Info > Metadata Details section, Metadata Details card | 5.2.4 parentIdentifier—If this item has a parent item, that item should be identified. Click the All Metadata page in the Contents pane. Expand the Metadata Info section in the first column of the metadata editor and click the Metadata Details section that it contains. On the Metadata Details card, type the appropriate information in the Metadata Parent Identifier text box. It isn't possible at this time to provide a title as well as an identifier for the parent item. |
Individual Name / Organization / Position—Essential Metadata page Metadata Contact card | 5.2.6 contact—Type an appropriate value in the Organization, Individual Name, or Position text box to identify the primary contact for the item's metadata; organization or position names are preferred. |
Role—Essential Metadata page Metadata Contact card | MD_Metadata.contact—Click an appropriate value in the Role drop-down list. |
Unique Identifier Code—All Metadata page, Spatial Info > Coordinate Reference System section, Coordinate Reference System card | 5.8.1 referenceSystemIdentifier—For datasets in which the Spatial Representation Type value is Vector, Grid, or Tin and a spatial reference hasn't been provided automatically but the data is associated with a coordinate system, click the All Metadata page in the Contents pane. Expand the Spatial Info section in the first column of the metadata editor and click the Coordinate Reference System section that it contains. Click Add section at the top. Click the Dimension drop-down list and click an appropriate value in the list. Type an identifier for the coordinate system in the Unique Identifier Code text box. Type the name of the registry that defines the coordinate system in the Codespace text box. |
Best practices for authoring NAP content in ArcGIS
ArcGIS allows you to create a full ISO 19115 and 19139 metadata record to describe an item that's also NAP-compliant. However, there are a few differences between the NAP instructions and how you should provide the corresponding information in ArcGIS. By following some best practices, the metadata you create in ArcGIS will be accurate and easier to maintain and will transition seamlessly to other metadata styles and formats in the future.
Inapplicable or unknown values
When a metadata element's value is unknown or inapplicable, leave its value blank when you edit metadata in ArcGIS. If a mandatory metadata element is left blank in ArcGIS and metadata is exported to an ISO 19139-formatted XML file using other applications in the ArcGIS platform, a nilReason code will be added automatically in a manner that satisfies the ISO 19139 XML schemas to indicate that the value is missing or unknown. Other metadata standards have similar requirements, but different elements are considered mandatory and the manner in which the uncertainty or absence of a value is indicated in the exported XML file is different. Exporters for each style handle the situation in an appropriate manner.
Content defined by the metadata style
A metadata style configures ArcGIS to support a specific metadata standard or profile. Each metadata standard typically has metadata elements to record the name and version of the standard that was followed, how the metadata content was recorded, and so on. Exporters for each style handle the situation in an appropriate manner. When metadata is exported to a NAP-compliant ISO 19139-formatted XML file using other applications in the ArcGIS platform, the mandatory metadataStandardName element and the optional metadataStandardVersion element are added at that time.
Content that can't or shouldn't be edited
For most items, ArcGIS automatically records the item's intrinsic properties in its metadata as appropriate. For example, if an item's spatial reference is set, full details of that spatial reference are recorded in its metadata. Detailed spatial reference properties can't be edited manually in the metadata view. This ensures the metadata reflects the item's actual spatial reference. With other metadata styles, you can manually provide information about an item's spatial reference for items that don't support synchronization, but you can only do so by providing the spatial reference identifier. The properties of the spatial reference are fixed for that identifier, and they can be examined in the appropriate registry where they're defined; individual spatial reference parameters are not manually typed into an item's metadata.
For other properties, such as an item's feature count, raster size, or attribute labels, it's possible to change the information derived from the item when editing metadata in ArcGIS. However, these values should be left unaltered. As long as these values aren't edited in the metadata view, ArcGIS will continue to update them as the item's properties change and they'll remain accurate. For example, if attributes are provided in an item's metadata but their names don't match field names in the item's attribute table, they'll be removed from the item's metadata the next time it's synchronized with the item's intrinsic properties.
The ArcGIS metadata editor automatically provides the current date as the date when the metadata was last updated, and the appropriate character set value describing how metadata created by ArcGIS is encoded. These values typically should not be modified. However, if you're transcribing metadata that describes an archived item, for example, you may want to change the metadata date to reflect the date when the metadata content was originally authored.
Export metadata to the ISO 19139 XML format
If you need to provide information about an item to people or organizations outside the ArcGIS platform, you can export the item's metadata to a stand-alone metadata file in the ISO 19139 XML format. When ArcGIS Pro is set to use the North American Profile of ISO 19115 2003 style, the item's metadata will be exported by default to the NAP version of the ISO 19139 XML format.
- On the Catalog tab on the ribbon, in the Metadata group, click Export
.The Export Metadata dialog box appears.
- Click The metadata content to export drop-down list and click the amount of content to filter out of the item's metadata during the export process.
- All Supported Content—The item's metadata is not filtered.
- Without Machine Names—The item's metadata content is filtered to remove any machine names that may exist. Appropriate actions are taken depending on the context in which the machine name is found. The metadata element will be removed if it doesn't cause the document to be invalid, the machine name will be removed from the beginning of a UNC path, or the value will be changed to identify the location as being withheld.
- Without Sensitive Information—Machine names are filtered as described above. Additionally, local and network file paths, and internet locations other than http or https addresses are removed in the same manner. Operating system information, database information, and geoprocessing history are also removed.
- Confirm that Current style (NAP) is selected in The type of metadata to export drop-down list.
- Browse to or type the location and name of the XML file that will be created in the Export metadata to text box.
- Click OK.
The filtered ArcGIS metadata elements are matched to the appropriate ISO 19139 metadata elements with the modifications required by the NAP profile, and their content is transferred to an ISO 19139-format XML file. ArcGIS metadata includes content that's not included in the ISO 19139 standard, such as thumbnails and descriptions of the fields in an attribute table; this content can't be included in an ISO 19139-format XML file.