The CSDGM standard was last updated in 1998. Since that time, geospatial data content, format, and supporting applications have evolved significantly. In addition, the Unified Modeling Language (UML) used to develop the standard provides a more robust means of describing complex relationships between metadata elements, metadata standards, and data resource types. More specifically, ISO geospatial metadata standards support:
- documentation of a wide range of geospatial resources including: data, services, sensors/technologies, collection methods, QA/QC procedures, models, application schemas, ontologies, symbol sets, and more.
- documentation of the relationships between geospatial data and associated services, technologies, methods, models, etc.
- documentation of simple and complex geospatial data parent/child/sibling relations
- simplification of metadata compliance through the use of fewer mandatory metadata elements and XML attributes that allow for flexibility in meeting requirements, e.g. ‘nilreason’
- standardization and discoverability of metadata content via standardized Topic Categories, a large percentage of fixed domains, and the use of identifiers to reference published information
- standardization and discoverability of metadata records across geopolitical boundaries and community-designated profiles
- standardization and simplification of documenting geographic coordinate systems and parameters through the use of Spatial Reference System identifiers, e.g. EPSG:5070