Open Government Metadata Application Profile Service Alberta. Open Government Program.
IMT Standards
IMT Standards Oversight Committee / Effective Date:Scheduled Review:
Last Reviewed:
Type: Technical
Status: Draft
Standard number [Internal Use Only]
Open Government Metadata Application Profile
Category: IMKeywords: metadata, open information, open government portal, virtual library, government documents, government publications, government information, application profile
Description of Standard
This is the Metadata Application Profile for the Government of Alberta's (GoA) Open Government Portal. It documents the set of metadata properties and encoding schemes that must be used to describe resources on the GoA Open Government Portal. Its purpose is to assist website developers, content creators and the specialists in ministries and other organizations that create and manage the records in the content management system that populates the site.
Standard Specification
Records in the Open Government Portal will contain two levels of metadata
· Resource-level metadata – applies to the entire resource being described by the catalogue record. The resource itself may consist of one or more component parts; that is, one or more files, or “items” may make up the resource being described. Possible scenarios include:
o One file, in one format, that contains the entire resource.
o The resource in its entirety is released in multiple file formats.
o The resource is released in multiple parts, such as chapters of a book.
o The resource is released serially, and each release is a separate file.
o A combination of the above. For example, a serial resource may be issued with multiple formats for each issue.
· Item-level metadata – applies only to the individual component (file) to which it is attached.
Open Government General Metadata Properties
Resource-Level Metadata /Name of Term / Definition / Obligation /
Alternative Title* / An alternative name used as a substitute or additional access point for an information resource. / Mandatory if Applicable
Archive Date / The date at which an information resource should be identified as an archive copy in the Open Government Portal. / Mandatory if Applicable
Audience / A group of people for whom an information resource is intended or useful. / Mandatory
Availability / Information on the availability of an information resource beyond the Open Government Portal. / Optional
Contact E-mail / The e-mail address to be used to contact the organizational contact for the resource as listed in the Contact Name. / Mandatory if Applicable
Contact Name / The organizational contact for users of the Open Government Portal to obtain further information or provide feedback about an information resource or its metadata. / Mandatory if Applicable
Contact Other / Other information which can be used to contact the organizational contact for the resource as listed in the Contact Name. / Optional
Contributor / A person or organization responsible for making significant contributions to the content of an information resource. / Mandatory if Applicable
Creator* / The business entity responsible for creating or compiling the original content of an information resource. / Mandatory
Date Added to Catalogue / The date and time on which an information resource is made publicly available through the Open Government Portal. / Mandatory
Date Created* / The date, or date and time, on which the intellectual content of an information resource is created or compiled. / Mandatory
Date Issued / The date, or date and time, on which an information resource was originally published or otherwise made publicly available for the first time. / Mandatory if Applicable
Date Metadata Created / The date, or date and time, on which an Open Government Portal catalogue record is created. / Mandatory
Date Metadata Modified / The date, or date and time, on which an Open Government Portal catalogue record is changed. / Mandatory
Date Modified* / The date, or date and time, on which an information resource is changed. / Mandatory
Description* / A concise narrative of the content of an information resource. / Mandatory
Frequency / The time interval at which new or updated versions of an information resource are issued. / Mandatory
Has Translation / The described resource pre-existed the referenced resource, which is essentially the same intellectual content presented in another language. / Mandatory if Applicable
Identifier (Other)* / A unique number, code, or reference value assigned to an information resource within a given context. / Mandatory if Applicable
Identifier (URI)* / A unique Uniform Resource Locator (URL) for the record of the information resource. / Mandatory
Is Replaced By / The described resource is supplanted, displaced, or superseded in whole or in part by the referenced resource(s). / Mandatory if Applicable
Is Translation Of / The described resource is a translation of the referenced resource into another language. / Mandatory if Applicable
Keywords / Uncontrolled terms (words or phrases) assigned to describe an information resource. / Mandatory
Language* / The specified language of an information resource. / Mandatory if Applicable
Licence / Reference to the legal document outlining access and usage rights for an information resource. / Mandatory
Place of Publication / The location, usually a town or city, where an information resource was published. / Optional
Publisher / The business entity responsible for making an information resource publicly available. / Mandatory
Related Resources / One or more resources that bear a close relationship to the described resource, often being derived from the same source material or being explanatory or supporting resources to the described resource. / Mandatory if Applicable
Replaces / The described resource supplants, displaces, or supersedes in whole or in part the referenced resource. / Mandatory if Applicable
Security Classification* / An information security designation that identifies the minimum level of protection assigned to an information resource. / Mandatory
Series Title / A distinctive collective title applied to an information resource and one or more other resources that also have their own separate titles. / Mandatory if Applicable
Spatial Coverage / A geographical area or spatial extent covered by the content of an information resource. / Mandatory if Applicable
Subject* / A controlled term that expresses a topic of the intellectual content of an information resource. / Optional
Temporal Coverage / The time frame covered by the content of an information resource. / Mandatory if Applicable
Title* / The full and formal name given to an information resource. / Mandatory
Topic* / A controlled term that expresses the broad topical content of an information resource. / Mandatory
Type* / The business design or structure used in the presentation and publication of an information resource. / Mandatory
Usage Considerations* / Description of factors that support the effective interpretation and use of the information resource. / Mandatory if Applicable
Item-Level Metadata /
Name of Term / Definition / Obligation /
Extent* / The size or duration of the item being described. / Recommended
Filesize / The filesize of the item being described. / Recommended
Format* / The file format or encoding method of the described item. / Mandatory
Item Description / A concise narrative of the content of the particular item being described. / Optional
Item Title / The formal or informal name given to the particular item being described. / Mandatory
Item URL / The electronic location where the specific item (file) being described can be found. / Mandatory
* Terms followed by an asterisk are part of the GoA Core Content Standard Metadata Application Profile:
Last updated: 7 August 2015 Page | 49
Open Government Metadata Application Profile Service Alberta. Open Government Program.
Mandatory: Creator, Date Created, Date Modified, Title
Mandatory if Applicable: Alternative Title, Description, Format, Identifier, Language, Medium, Security Classification and Usage Considerations
Recommended: Type and Subject
Optional: Extent
Where to Apply This Standard
This standard applies to all departments[1], as defined in section 14 of Schedule 11 to the Government Organization Act, and any agencies, boards, commissions, corporations, offices or other bodies listed in Schedule 1 to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Regulation under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.
Authority and Exceptions
Internal Use Only
Supporting Documentation
Metadata - Core Content Standard
Core Content Standard Metadata Application Profile (CORMAP)
Metadata Management Glossary
Publisher
Service Alberta. Open Government Program.
Contact
Internal Use Only
Additional Information
Audience / Government of AlbertaSensitivity / GoA – Unrestricted
Proposed Date / [Date when the standard was proposed to the Standards Oversight Committee. YYYY-MM-DD]
Appendix A Metadata Details
Legend
· Level of Application: Indicates whether the element should be applied at the resource level or item level within the metadata record.
· Definition: a short description of the metadata element.
· Purpose: A description of the reason(s) that a metadata term should be used within the Open Government Portal.
· Obligation: Indicates whether a metadata element is required to always or sometimes be present, or to always or sometimes have a value.
o Mandatory (M): The element must have a value. "Not Applicable" is not an accepted value.
o Mandatory if Applicable (MA): The element must have a value if available for the described resource.
o Recommended (R): The element should have a value if available and appropriate for the described resource.
o Optional (O): The element may have a value if available, adds value, and is appropriate for the described resource.
· Repeatable: Indicates whether a metadata element can be applied only once or more than once when describing a single resource.
· Encoding scheme: Indicates whether the metadata element has a prescribed set of values or syntax rules that must be used to format the metadata term.
· Do not confuse with: Clarifies the differences in meaning and/or use among metadata elements that could appear similar.
· Populated by: Indicates how the text or other data for the element could be captured. Metadata values may be entered manually, selected from a pick list or system-generated.
· Guidance: Describes recommended practice, usage, scope, examples, and/or other information that would assist metadata and other specialists to implement and use a metadata element.
· Similar to: Elements in other metadata schemes, such as Dublin Core and MARC, which are equivalent or roughly equivalent to the OIMAP element.
Alternative Title
Level of application: / ResourceDefinition: / An alternative name used as a substitute or additional access point for an information resource.
Purpose: / Using Alternative Title can assist retrieval and help to distinguish one resource from another, as users may be more familiar with an informal version of a title.
Obligation: / Mandatory if Applicable / Repeatable: / Yes
Encoding scheme: / No
Do not confuse with: / TITLE: the name given to the resource and by which the resource is formally known;
ITEM TITLE: The formal or informal name given to the particular item (file) being described.
digital file names or website titles.
Populated by: / Manual entry
Guidance: / Use Alternative Title for commonly-used titles of a resource other than the Title. This could include title abbreviations, title aliases, assigned titles, or names by which a resource is commonly or informally known.
Alternative Titles should be derived from the content of the resource, with special attention paid to the title page, and reflect how users would search for a resource.
Examples:
· Title: A future of choices, a choice of futures : report of the Commission on Educational planning
· Alternative Title: Worth Report (named after the head of the commission which wrote the report)
· Title: Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped Regulations
· Alternative Title: AISH Regulations
· Title (for a dataset): Family Size, Canada, Provinces and Territories, 2011
· Alternative Title: Family Size
Include special characters such as quotation marks, apostrophes, and accented characters, e.g. Métis.
Similar to: / Dublin Core: dc.title.alternative | MARC: 130 ; 210 ; 240 ; 246 ; 730 ; 740
Archive Date
/Level of application: / Resource
Definition: / The date at which an information resource should be identified as an archive copy in the Open Government Portal.
Purpose: / To ensure that users of the Open Government Portal are able to distinguish between current resources and resources which are older or may have been superseded by a more current resource.
Obligation: / Mandatory if Applicable / Repeatable: / No
Encoding scheme: / Yes. Date and Time Representation as outlined in the GoA’s Data Exchange Standard – Date, Time, and Date & Time (https://imtdocs.internal.alberta.ca/Data_Exchange_Standard_-_Date_Time_Date_and_Time.pdf) (See Appendix C)
Do not confuse with: / IS REPLACED BY: used when the described resource is supplanted, displaced, or superseded in whole or in part by the referenced resource(s).
Populated by: / Manual entry
Guidance: / The Open Government Portal is meant to be a permanent repository for government information. As the Portal grows to include digitized resources from the past, and as once-current resources become dated or superseded, there will often be a need or a desire among users of the Portal to distinguish between resources that are still in effect or are still fairly current and those which are older or no longer in effect.
In general, resources that are more than 15 years old should include an archive date. But custodians or system administrators may choose a different date for the Archive Date if suitable.
When a metadata element originates with or is edited to include an IS REPLACED BY metadata element, the Archive Date should be set to the date on which the IS REPLACED BY element was added or modified.
Similar to: / Dublin Core: none | MARC: none
Audience
/Level of application: / Resource
Definition: / A group of people for whom an information resource is intended or useful.
Purpose: / The Audience element facilitates searching by allowing the user to filter by resources expected to be of interest to a particular sector of the public.
Obligation: / Mandatory / Repeatable: / Yes
Encoding scheme: / Yes. See Appendix C.
Do not confuse with: / TOPIC, SUBTOPIC, SUBJECTS: controlled terms that indicate the topic of a resource, i.e. what it is "about".