Title: Examples of ecological data synthesis driven by rich metadata, and practical guidelines to use the Ecological Metadata Language specification to this end

Authors: Inigo San Gil; Kristin Vanderbilt; Steve A. Harrington

Addresses: LTER Network Office, Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, MSC03 2020, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA. ' Sevilleta LTER, Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, MSC03 2020, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA. ' SAHarrington 70, West St. Middletown, Springs VT 05757, USA

Abstract: We present two examples of scientific results using a semi-automated data synthesis driven by quality, rich-content metadata: 1) Antarctic climate and 2) effects of drought on biodiversity. We use a framework for semi-automated processing of data supported by quality controlled, content-rich metadata expressed in the Ecological Metadata Language (EML). We discuss a set of common practices for EML newcomers as a valuable guide for the EML use. We provide some simple tools that can be used to address quality control as the EML is generated. Based on our extended EML experience, we make recommendations about the future of EML.

Keywords: metadata; EML; ecological metadata language; LTER; long term ecological research network; Antarctic climate; drought; biodiversity; ecological data synthesis; data integration; machine mediated data analysis; quality control.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMSO.2011.042489

International Journal of Metadata, Semantics and Ontologies, 2011 Vol.6 No.1, pp.46 - 55

Received: 14 Jan 2010
Accepted: 07 Sep 2010
Published online: 12 Feb 2015 *

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