No matter how hard you try, if your park creates a GIS dataset (from GPS data or not) it will be asked one day for the associated documentation, aka metadata, file. Equally valuable, but less structured is project documentation. Project documentation captures knowledge of the field staff and may be valuable later for project justification. Delaying both types of documentation for a long period of time will result in loss of knowledge about the data collection and data processing methods. Failing to plan time to create a metadata file per final GIS dataset and to document the process of the field season may result in work that will have to be redone.

Creating the metadata for each finalized GIS dataset does not have to be difficult if you educate yourself and use customized software. READ MORE >>

Get comfortable with the FGDC compliant metadata standard required by federal agencies. Read metadata of datasets similar to yours.
Do not start your metadata records from scratch. There are plenty of examples of good FGDC compliant metadata on the NPS GIS Clearinghouse. There are also some GPS templates you can start from and customize for your park and GPS settings. See Links section below. Once each GIS dataset is finalized, you can apply the template and customize it further.
Utilize the specially designed software packages for metadata creation. They may be free and work with GIS software such as ArcView 3.x, purchased with some GIS software such as ArcView 8.x, or stand alone. See Links section below.
Some post-processing GPS software (Pathfinder Office) provide text files during operations such as differential correction and exports that are chock full with detailed information on configuration, units and settings. Refer to this information when writing metadata.

One way to track project process and progress is to keep a notebook of hardcopy notes and output from the work and/or keep a digital folder to track all project work. Your choice on how to track your work depends on the number of participants and complexity of the project or field season work. Documentation for a project can range from a simple readme text file to a detailed daily log explaining processes and milestones.

Okay...I did not want to bring this up, but....Executive Order 12906 signed in April 1994 mandates all federal agencies to create metadata READ MORE >>

or "information about data" for all geospatial data. The Executive Order states that 'Geographic information is critical to promote economic development, improve our stewardship of natural resources, and protect the environment. Modern technology now permits improved acquisition, distribution, and utilization of geographic (or geospatial) data and mapping.'

Time - you need to plan ahead for enough time to complete this step once you have finished all of the GPS field work and created your finalized GIS datasets. The amount of time needed to create one metadata record for each dataset depends on the amount of metadata experience of the writer.

*If you wait till after the field season, plan on increasing these times due the need to investigate the datasets.

Data collectors as metadata creators - In a perfect world...the data collectors/data processors who get to do all of the fun stuff and know the data intimately would be the metadata writers. Of coarse this doesn't always happen, but it is ideal. It is not fair to the GIS staffer who gets stuck with documenting someone else's work. I am speaking from pain and experience.....

Metadata - Data about the data. Usually comes in the form of a text or html document with information on the dataset's quality, current projection, attributes, distribution and citation. In the National Park Service world, we are generally talking about a file compliant to the FGDC Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata.

FGDC - The Federal Geographic Data Committee is a 19 member interagency committee composed of representatives from the Executive Office of the President, Cabinet-level and independent agencies who develop policies, standards, and procedures for organizations to cooperatively produce and share geographic data.

Site Suggestions. Contact ifer_mccollom@nps.gov if you have any suggestions or possible Step-by-Step How To links.