The Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) Steering Committee endorsed INCITS/ISO 19115-1:2014 Geographic information -- Metadata -- Part 1: Fundamentals and INCITS/ISO 19157:2013[2014] Geographic information -- Data quality standards in December 2016. This endorsement is part of the FGDC’s continuing efforts to advance geospatial metadata and its use for efficient and effective search, discovery, and access to the data it describes, and to facilitate more direct access to online data services.These two standards provide general documentation elements as well as data quality elements.
Federal agencies with geospatial data responsibilities shall develop metadata to support the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI), as outlined in Executive Order 12906, http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/executive-orders/pdf/12906.pdf, and OMB Circular A-16 (revised), http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/circulars_a016_rev.
OMB Circular A-119, https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/inforeg/revised_circular_a-119_as_of_1_22.pdf, calls for agencies to use voluntary consensus standards, such as those developed through ISO, in lieu of government-unique standards. According to the FGDC Policy on Recognition of Non-Federally Authored Geographic Information Standards and Specifications, https://www.fgdc.gov/standards/standards/standards_publications/Non-FGDC_StandardsSpecs_Policy.pdf, FGDC endorsement means that non-Federally authored standards are mandatory for use by Federal agencies and have the same status as that of an FGDC developed standard.
The FGDC metadata program recognizes that different agencies are at varying levels of advancement in the use of metadata standards: for that reason, the FGDC will retain its Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata (CSDGM) and INCITS/ISO 19115:2003 [R2008] Geographic information - Metadata as legacy standards after endorsement of INCITS/ISO 19115-1:2014. The goal is to migrate to ISO as agencies are able to do so, consistent with FGDC guidance provided in Selecting a Geospatial Metadata Standard, http://www.fgdc.gov/metadata/selecting-a-geospatial-metadata-standard. The Benefits web page, http://www.fgdc.gov/metadata/benefits-of-iso, describes why ISO metadata standards improve upon the CSDGM.
INCITS/ISO 19115-1:2014
INCITS/ISO 19115-1:2014 Geographic information -- Metadata -- Part 1: Fundamentals is the foundational geospatial metadata standard for providing information about identification, extent, quality, spatial and temporal aspects, content, spatial reference, portrayal, distribution, and other properties of digital geographic data and services. Its information elements are similar to those in the CSDGM and INCITS/ISO 19115:2003 [R2008]. Significant changes incorporated in INCITS/ISO 19115-1:2014 include addition of metadata for services, removal of data elements for data quality (which are now placed in INCITS/ISO 19157:2013[2014]), and inclusion of feature catalogs.
INCITS/ISO 19115-1:2014 may be purchased through the ANSI eStandards Store at http://webstore.ansi.org/RecordDetail.aspx?sku=INCITS%2fISO+19115-1%3a2014%5b2014%5d.
INCITS/ISO 19157:2013[2014]
INCITS/ISO 19157:2013[2014] Geographic information -- Data quality facilitates description of geospatial data quality and defines standardized components and structures of data quality measures. It improves upon data quality reporting in CSDGM and INCITS/ISO 19115:2003 [R2008] through added elements of value, including principles for describing quality of geographic data; components for describing data quality; components and content structure of a register for data quality measures; general procedures for evaluating quality of geographic data; principles for reporting data quality; and data quality measures for use in evaluating and reporting data quality. ISO/TS 19138:2006 Geographic information -- Data quality measures was retired as an FGDC-endorsed standard with the endorsement of INCITS/ISO 19157:2013[2014].
INCITS/ISO 19157:2013[2014] may be purchased through the ANSI eStandards Store at http://webstore.ansi.org/RecordDetail.aspx?sku=INCITS%2fISO+19157%3a2013%5b2014%5d.