| 1.
What is metadata? |
| 2.
Can I buy software that conforms to the AgMES Standard? |
| 3.
Can I make new metadata elements/refinements? |
| 4.
Can I use controlled vocabularies that are not approved by AgMES? |
| 5.
Do we need to choose a single metadata standard to create and application profile? |
| 6.
How can I add a new element/refinement/scheme to AgMES? |
| 7.
How can I embed metadata within my HTML documents? |
| 8.
How do I begin implementing AgMES? |
| 9.
How do I participate in discussions about the AgMES? |
| 10.
How is AgMES metadata stored? |
| 11.
How is AgMES metadata used? |
| 12.
I already have my own structure. What do I do with the records? |
| 13.
Should I use Simple or Qualified metadata terms? |
| 14.
What are the advantages of using AgMES? |
| 15.
What are the benefits of metadata? |
| 16.
What is a metadata element? |
| 17.
What is a Namespace? |
| 18.
What is an Application Profile? |
| 19.
What is an attribute-value pair? |
| 20.
What is qualified metadata? |
| 21.
What is RDF? |
| 22.
What is the "Dumb-Down" Principle? |
| 23.
What is the Agricultural Metadata Element Set or AgMES? |
| 24.
What is the AGS Namespace? |
| 25.
What is the difference between "Simple" and "Refined”? |
| 26.
What is the difference between Dublin Core and AgMES? |
| 27.
What is the Dublin Core Metadata Element Set? |
| 28.
What is the Dublin Core Metadata Initiative? |
| 29.
What is the history of AgMES? |
| 30.
What is XML? |
| 31.
What tools are available to create metadata? |
| 32.
Who is using AgMES? |
| 33.
Why do we need common metadata? |
| 34.
Why do we need to declare namespace? |
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1. What is metadata?
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Simply described, metadata is "data about data". Metadata is information in a structured format that describes a resource. It is information about intellectual content, intellectual property rights, as well as instantiation properties such as date and format of a resource.
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2. Can I buy software that conforms to the AgMES Standard?
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No, there is no software at present that will support you in the creation of metadata in AgMES/DC compliant format. However, for creation of simple DC metadata, you can visit DC.DOT.
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3. Can I make new metadata elements/refinements?
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Yes you can. However, it is important to first check other standards in your subject domain or others that have described and declared elements. This is to promote reuse and interoperability while avoiding duplication of efforts. These elements will work only in your own application profile or database. If you consider them useful to others in the domain, you may propose them to the AgMES Secretariat for inclusion in AgMES. Otherwise, you may provide them locally with your own specific namespace.
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4. Can I use controlled vocabularies that are not approved by AgMES?
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AgMES does not exhaustively list all the possible controlled vocabularies that exist and the can be used in the domain of agriculture. The AgMES secretariat recommends the use of the established and known controlled vocabularies but in cases where a user has a local controlled vocabulary, they can use it but declare it and also propose it to the AgMES Secretariat to be included in the list.
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5. Do we need to choose a single metadata standard to create and application profile?
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No. You can choose more than one standard. What is most important is that you get all the necessary elements for the applications at hand. On how to create an application profile, look at the guidelines on creating application profile.
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6. How can I add a new element/refinement/scheme to AgMES?
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New elements to AgMES can only be added by sending full explanatory proposals to agstandards@yahoogroups.com. The proposal should contain an explanation of the need for describing the element along with the proposed label (name), definition, how it can be used and any comments on best practices for the element/refinement/scheme. The AgMES secretariat will then consider and inform you of their decision.
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7. How can I embed metadata within my HTML documents?
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At present, the metadata can be embedded in the document by editing the source file. Tools, such as DC.DOT are available for automatic metadata syntax creation. Simply insert all the necessary metadata into the form and cut-and-paste the resulting (X)HTML metadata between the <HEAD> tags of the file.
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8. How do I begin implementing AgMES?
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Contact the AgMES Secretariat for some help and guidance if your metadata is appropriate for mapping to AgMES.
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9. How do I participate in discussions about the AgMES?
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Join our discussions by joining the AgStandards Group. Send an email to agstandards@droups.com
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10. How is AgMES metadata stored?
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AgMES metadata, along with DC, is stored as name-value pairs within tags, which are placed within the elements of an file. However, the same metadata can also be stored at an external location either as a document or as part of a database, allowing it to be indexed and reused by other applications.
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11. How is AgMES metadata used?
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AgMES metadata, in conjunction with other established metadata sets such as Dublin Core and AGLS is used to compile application profiles which describe different types of resources in the area of agriculture. For example, the AGRIS Application profile describes information objects for the AGRIS System.
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12. I already have my own structure. What do I do with the records?
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It is important to note that AgMES is a set of extensions to DC. If you would like to provide your data for exchange purpose in XML, look at our guide on creation of application profiles for sharing metadata.
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13. Should I use Simple or Qualified metadata terms?
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The use of simple or qualified metadata terms depends on the level of granularity of resource description a user requires. It also depends on the purpose of the metadata and where it will be used. Simple metadata is used more for discovery of information resources i.e. as seen with the Open Archive Initiative (OAI) data providers. See an example of databases which uses simple Dublin Core metadata formats. Qualified metadata provides the flexibility to provide further details about the resource, such as its location, viewing rights, etc.
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14. What are the advantages of using AgMES?
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In the current networked environment, where more and more systems are communicating with each other, it is becoming important to speak a common language. Although one can invent a completely new set of element names with the same definitions, it is far better to use what has already been created. If an element, defined in AgMES, suits the purposes of our system, it is recommended to reuse it rather than reinvent the wheel. Additionally, AgMES offers: - a standard data model for bibliographic description of resources in the domain of agriculture, covering publications in different areas of the domain such as Fishery, Forestry, etc.;
- the opportunity for different communities to be able to access and re-use existing application profile schema, and to establish a common format for homogenizing results on a search interface derived from parallel searching of heterogeneous archives, i.e. the AGRIS Multi-host Server;
- the possibility to harvest metadata from data sources within and beyond the domain of agriculture; and
- a common approach to sharing informatbon etween applications and standards makers, while promoting interoperability between systems.
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15. What are the benefits of metadata?
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There are many reasons for creating metadata. Metadata serves numerous important purposes such as data browsing, data transfer, and data documentation. Here are some additional benefits to think about: - Metadata helps users answer questions about the data.
- Metadata helps publicize and support the data you or your organization have produced.
- Metadata supports the creation of a data inventory. Documenting data and its availability provides agencies with the means to measure production.
- Metadata that conform to the FGDC standard are the basic product of the National Geospatial Data Clearinghouse, a distributed online catalog of digital spatial data. This clearinghouse will allow people to understand diverse data products by describing them in a way that emphasizes aspects that are common among them.
- Metadata may be considered insurance. Having metadata available insures that potential data users can make an informed decision about the appropriate use of a data set.
- Metadata is a key component of data lineage. It provides basic information about the source and derivation of a data set.
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16. What is a metadata element?
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An element is described as a unit of data or metadata. The element allows us to give more information about the described information.
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17. What is a Namespace?
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In XML, where the term originates, namespace is a collection of names, identified by a URI reference which are used in XML documents as element types and attribute names. XML namespaces differ from the "namespaces" conventionally used in computing disciplines in that the XML version has internal structure and is not, mathematically speaking, a set. Similarly, in the context of metadata namespaces, often also used in XML and RDF, they allow the names of elements to be uniquely identified. For example, the namespace of Dublin Core is indicated in XML as:
xmlns:dc = " http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" The namespace of AgMES is indicated as xmlns:ags = "http://purl.org/agmes/1.1/" This helps us to distinguish between elements with the same name. Therefore, in XML or RDF syntax, the "Creator" element taken from DC will have the tags <dc:creator /> while the "Citation" element from AgMES will be encoded as <ags:citation /> In other words, any closed set of terms or names (such as those from AgMES) are a namespace. Similarly, a controlled vocabulary such as AGRIS Subject Categories, a Thesaurus such as AGROVOC, are namespaces managed and maintained by authorities such as FAO. For more information, see:AgMES Stance on Namespaces and Application Profiles
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18. What is an Application Profile?
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An application profile is, put simply, a data-model. It is a set of metadata elements, refinements and the proposed encoding schemes and guidelines defined for a given application. The elements may be taken from one or more namespaces (link to above question), including a locally defined namespace. For example, the AGRIS Application Profile, which defines an exchange format for the AGRIS Database (link to website) takes elements from three different namespaces: - The Agricultural Metadata Element Set (AgMES)
- The Dublin Core Metadata Element Set (DCMES)
- The Australian Government Locator Services (AGLS)
The Application Profile or AP can be presented as a machine-readable schema or a Word document, which define human-understandable explanations and provide best-practice guidelines. For more information, see:AgMES Stance on Namespaces and Application Profiles
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19. What is an attribute-value pair?
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Attribute-value pairs are used within Dublin Core metadata to represent the properties of a resource or object. Information such as "Author", "Creator" and "Date" are all examples of Dublin Core elements that are implemented as attribute-value pairs within HTML's META element to provide additional semantics about a resource. Web resources are effectively information objects complete with properties that can be expressed in any number of ways. The Dublin Core Metadata Element Set (DCMES) enables properties to be assigned to a Web resource the exact same way we might fill in the blanks for a card catalogue record. XML uses angled brackets to designate opening tags and closing tags that contain content. The tags may contain attributes and their values. These tags are of the form: <[tagname] [attribute name]="[attribute value]">
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20. What is qualified metadata?
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Qualified metadata consists of refined elements. These make the meaning of an element either narrower or more specific. The element refinement also shares the meaning of the unqualified element, but with a more restricted scope.
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21. What is RDF?
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RDF (Resource Description Framework) is a framework for metadata; it provides interoperability between applications that exchange machine-understandable information on the Web. It contains three basic elements: - Resources, which is everything described in RDF "expressions"; - Properties, which are specific aspects, characteristics, attributes, or relations used to describe a resource; - Statements, which describe a specific resource together with a named property, plus the value of that property. For More information, see: W3C pages on RDF
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22. What is the "Dumb-Down" Principle?
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A rule for the application of Interoperability Qualifiers, which stipulates that qualifiers can refine but not extend the meaning of the element to which they are applied. Thus, ignoring a qualifier ("dumbing down" the qualifier) may cause a loss of precision, but the resulting value should still be of some use to an application or user.
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23. What is the Agricultural Metadata Element Set or AgMES?
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The Agricultural Metadata Standards Initiative (AgMES) was established by FAO and is an initiative that aims to encompass issues of semantic standards in the domain of agriculture with respect to description, resource discovery, interoperability and data exchange for different types of information resources. AgMES acts as an umbrella under which namespaces from different disciplines in the domain of agriculture and related disciplines can be defined for newly declared elements. It is based on the Dublin Core Metadata Initiative (DCMI).
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24. What is the AGS Namespace?
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This is a namespace declaring new elements that are deemed necessary in the description of information resources in the domain of agriculture. AgMES enables new elements that are established to be well documented, maintained and made available for reuse. It acts as an umbrella whereby all new coined terms used for different resources in all area of agriculture (fisheries, GIS, forestry etc.) and types of resource (DLIOs, projects, fishing gear presentations, images, maps etc.) can be managed.
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25. What is the difference between "Simple" and "Refined”?
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"Simple" refers to a low barrier interoperability layer (metadata set), to aid primary resource discovery and to serve as an exchange format between various systems using different metadata. "Refined" refers to a richer interoperability layer (metadata set) to aid the process of locating and acquiring the resource, through the use of a qualified (enriched) element set.
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26. What is the difference between Dublin Core and AgMES?
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AgMES is an extension of Dublin Core; however, DC applies to all types of resources while AgMES restricts itself to the description of agricultural information resources.
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27. What is the Dublin Core Metadata Element Set?
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The Dublin Core (DC) Metadata Element Set is a standard for cross-domain information resource description. The Dublin Core is a set of 16 core elements intended to facilitate discovery of electronic resources. It has been in development since 1995 through a series of focused invitational workshops that gather experts from the library world, the networking and digital library research communities, and a variety of content specialties. For more information, see http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/
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28. What is the Dublin Core Metadata Initiative?
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The Dublin Core Metadata Initiative (DCMI) is an open forum engaged in the development of interoperable online metadata standards that support a broad range of purposes and business models. DCMI's activities include consensus-driven working groups, global workshops, conferences, standards liaison, and educational efforts to promote widespread acceptance of metadata standards and practices. For more information, see http://dublincore.org/.
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29. What is the history of AgMES?
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The Agricultural Metadata Standards Initiative was launched in November 2000 at a workshop in Brussels, jointly organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and OneWorld Europe. As a follow-up to the Brussels workshop, a working group was established which looked into the applicability of Dublin Core Elements and Qualifiers as a means for describing technical and scientific information in the area of agriculture. The unanimous conclusion was that Dublin Core was indeed an optimal starting point for the Agricultural Metadata Standards Initiative and therefore formed the basis for the step forward. A specification for the first metadata standard was established which is based on the Dublin Core and complements it with local extensions considered necessary for the comprehensive description of agricultural information. Other standards useful for the description of resources have also been consulted.
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30. What is XML?
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Extensible Markup Language (XML) is a simple, very flexible text format derived from SGML (ISO 8879), originally designed to meet the challenges of large-scale electronic publishing. XML is a Meta-mark-up language that is used to create mark-up languages that are suited for a particular purpose. The author can make up the tags as the document is being developed. XML has no predefined tags such as those in HTML. The mark-up language uses tags that enclose parts of the document. These tags are used to identify each element or unique part of the document.
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31. What tools are available to create metadata?
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Visit the AgMES Tools web page at: http://www.fao.org/aims/tool_meta.jsp
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32. Who is using AgMES?
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Currently, several different projects within FAO are utilizing AgMES elements for exchanging their information.
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33. Why do we need common metadata?
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Systems need common metadata to be interoperable with each other. This allows the systems to communicate with other systems and thus exchange information. Interoperability is the ability of different types of computers, networks, operating systems, and applications to work together effectively, without prior communication, in order to exchange information in a useful and meaningful manner. There are three aspects of interoperability, semantic (metadata), structural and syntactical. The semantic interoperability can be provided by using common metadata elements. The structural interoperability is then controlled by DTDs and RDF schemas that define, in machine readable format, the metadata elements. Finally, the syntactical interoperability is provided by using common, platform-independent standards such as XML and RDF.
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34. Why do we need to declare namespace?
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We declare a name space to standardize, and make the public (users of metadata) aware of the new metadata terms that we have described. It also serves as a mechanism for machines (through distinct URIs) as well as humans (through definitions and labels) to understand the source of an element.
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