A:

Federal Agencies:

Data.gov is organized into separate catalogs to provide access to three classes of published, publicly accessible federal data and related access tools and services: “raw” data, geodata and applications, each with specific distinguishing characteristics.

Although the selection criteria, approval, and submission process differ by department and agency, the following highlights the Data.gov submission process.

• Nomination of data or application
  • Although any individual or organization may suggest a dataset or application for promotion to Data.gov, primary responsibility rests with the data steward(s) responsible for its availability and management.
• Determination of suitability and initial selection
  • Initial selection of nominated datasets and/or applications depends on analysis of their suitability.  Suitability is determined by meeting all of the criteria set forth in the Data.gov Data Policy.
• Preparation and submission of metadata
  • “Raw” data and Applications

For individual or groups of datasets and applications, a standard metadata template is available via the Data.gov Dataset Management System (DMS) at https://dms.data.gov/ .  Completed records are most often submitted by an appointed data steward.

Geodata:

Federal geodata records are entered into the geo.data.gov catalog in fully FDGC-compliant form, where they will then be “flagged” for inclusion in ocean.data.gov. For information on the appropriate metadata standard, visit the Metadata Requirements section.

• Internal review and certification for publication
  • All metadata submitted through the DMS are reviewed by either the department/agency POC or the Geodata POC
• Data.gov Review and Approval
  • Publication in Data.gov is a multi-step process which requires several approvals and certifications.  The following outlines the approval process:
    • Agency/Line Office and/or Geodata POC
    • Agency/Department POC
    • Data.gov Program Management Office (PMO) POC

For more information, contact your department, agency, or line office metadata steward.

Others:

Changes are currently being made to accommodate non-federal spatial data and information.  The process for uploading metadata to be represented in Data.gov is in development.

A: Metadata can be submitted and harvested through a semi-automated process or through the use of federal catalogs.  The following types of catalogs are accepted by Data.gov:

• Web Accessible Folder (WAF)
  • An HTTP accessible directory of files, typically metadata files in XML format in which all files and their time-stamps are visible to a web browser or client
• Z39.50 Protocol
  • A client-server protocol used for searching and retrieving information from remote computer database,  the Z39.50 protocol syntax supports the search, retrieval, sort, and browsing of information.

More information: ANSI/NISO Z39.50 Specification

• OGC OpenGIS Catalogue Service for Web (CS-W)
  • The OGC Catalog Service defines and utilizes common interfaces to discover, browse, and query metadata about data, services, and other resources.  More information – OGC Specification
  • Open Archives Initiative – Protocol for Metadata Harvesting
    • The Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting (OAI-PMH) provides an application-independent interoperability framework based on metadata harvesting.  For implementation guidelines and additional information, visit http://www.openarchives.org/pmh/

A:  As described in the “How do I upload metadata into Data.gov” section above, certain metadata restrictions apply differently to “raw” data and applications and geodata.  For more information on recommended metadata standards, visit the Metadata Requirements section.

A: There are two options for making your data accessible to Ocean.data.gov:

• Metadata discovery
  • Using the information and recommendations for metadata standards, available here, data stewards and providers should ensure that a link to the original, authoritative dataset is provided.
  • Web Services
    • Ocean.data.gov can provide direct access to web services. For information on common web mapping service standards and data publishing considerations, visit the Data Publishing and Exchange section.

A: Yes. If your Federal dataset has been accepted by Geospatial One-Stop as well as flagged and approved through the approval/certification process (see Question above), these data should be searchable within Data.gov. If your dataset is from a non-Federal source, it is now available through Geoplatform.gov.

A: Please visit the Forums.