creating metadata

The following resources will help you create metadata that complies with the MEDIN Metadata Standard. Please check back to this webpage regularly to ensure you are using the most recent versions of the tools and documents.

Online tool

Metadata Maestro

•	An online tool to create, export and validate an XML metadata record, or to upload one directly to the MEDIN marine data discovery portal.
•	Suitable for generating metadata for a small number of data sets.
•	Can only be used online (no stand alone mode).
•	Error message explanations

•	A tool to create, edit, validate and transform discovery metadata records to MEDIN, GEMINI and ISO standards.
•	Available under lincence from SeaZone.
•	Developed by SeaZone in collaboration with MEDIN.
•	Can be used in standalone mode.

If the online tool generates error messages that you don't understand, you can search for their meaning here.

After you have created your metadata, details on how to ensure it is valid can be found on the validating metadata page.

examples

MEDIN metadata can be created for any type of geospatial marine data. Here is an examples of a well written metadata record:

1987 - Ongoing Met Office Marine Automatic Weather Station (MAWS) Meteorological Observations

GIS tools

If you produce GIS data layers using ESRI software, you can create MEDIN discovery metadata with the following tools. These tools are based around, and compatible with specific versions of ArcGIS. Please note that these tools are no longer supported by MEDIN and meet an earlier version of the MEDIN discovery metadata standard.

•	ArcGIS 10.0 (service pack 3 and above), 10.1 and 10.2 stylesheet (updated 8jul14)
•	ArgGIS 10.0 (service pack 2 and lower) stylesheet (updated 8jul14)
•	ArcGIS 9 stylesheet (updated 26aug10). Please note that the ArcGIS 9 stylesheet is currently unsupported and produces metadata designed to meet an earlier version of the MEDIN discovery metadata standard.

advanced

MEDIN has developed software to translate metadata databases into MEDIN formatted XML for inclusion on the MEDIN portal. This tool can only be applied to an existing relational database (such as in Oracle). Contact enquiries@oceannet.org for further details.

quick links

Data Discovery Portal

Metadata Editor

Discovery Metadata Standard

General MEDIN enquiries
Tel: 0151 7954973 email: enquiries

MEDIN Metadata helpline
Tel: 01752 426237 email: helpline

FAQs