Documenting People and Organizations

Many documentation dialects include mechanisms for connecting people and organizations to metadata records. There are two general approaches to these connections. The first involves including the roles of the people in the names of the metadata element's. For example, the NetCDF Attribute Convention for Data Discovery includes fields titled creator_name, creator_email, and creator_url. This approach makes it difficult to standardize because new standard elements must be added in order to add a new role, i.e. processor_name, processor_email, processor_URL. The second approach centers around a generic description of a person or an organization that includes an attribute that gives the role they play with respect to the resource being documented. This approach allows additions by extending the list of roles. See NetCDF, HDF, and ISO Metadata for more details on this approach.

Connecting people to resources is an important role of metadata. In addition, it is critical to describe people's role with respect to the resource.

NASA GCMD Directory Interchange Format

The DIF dialect differentiates clearly between documentation of people and organizations. People are documented using the Personnel object with roles of DIF AUTHOR, INVESTIGATOR, and TECHNICAL CONTACT:

<dif:Personnel>
  <dif:Role/>
  <dif:First_Name/>
  <dif:Middle_Name/>
  <dif:Last_Name/>
  <dif:Email/>
  <dif:Phone/>
  <dif:Fax/>
  <dif:Contact_Address>
    <dif:Address/>
    <dif:City/>
    <dif:Province_or_State/>
    <dif:Postal_Code/>
    <dif:Country/>
  </dif:Contact_Address>
</dif:Personnel>

The dialect includes information for one type of organization: the Data Center that distributes the data. The Data Centers are documented using the DataCenter object:

<dif:Data_Center>
  <dif:Data_Center_Name>
    <dif:Short_Name/>
    <dif:Long_Name/>
  </dif:Data_Center_Name>
  <dif:Data_Center_URL/>
  <dif:Data_Set_ID/>
  <dif:Personnel>
    <dif:Role/>
    <dif:First_Name/>
    <dif:Middle_Name/>
    <dif:Last_Name/>
    <dif:Email/>
    <dif:Phone/>
    <dif:Fax/>
    <dif:Contact_Address>
      <dif:Address/>
      <dif:City/>
      <dif:Province_or_State/>
      <dif:Postal_Code/>
      <dif:Country/>
    </dif:Contact_Address>
  </dif:Personnel>
</dif:Data_Center>

ECHO

The ECHO dialect combines people and organizations into the Contact structure:

<Contact>
  <Role/>
  <HoursOfService/>
  <Instructions/>
  <OrganizationName/>
  <OrganizationAddresses>
    <Address>
      <StreetAddress/>
      <City/>
      <StateProvince/>
      <PostalCode/>
      <Country/>
    </Address>
  </OrganizationAddresses>
  <OrganizationPhones>
    <Phone>
      <Number/>
      <Type>voice</Type>
    </Phone>
    <Phone>
      <Number/>
      <Type>fax</Type>
    </Phone>
  </OrganizationPhones>
  <OrganizationEmails>
    <Email/>
  </OrganizationEmails>
  <ContactPersons>
    <ContactPerson>
      <FirstName/>
      <MiddleName/>
      <LastName/>
      <JobPosition/>
    </ContactPerson>
  </ContactPersons>
</Contact>

The ECHO Collection Roles:

Investigator 	 1339
ORNL DAAC User Services 749
Archive 638
TECHNICAL CONTACT 617
DATA CENTER CONTACT 585
DIF AUTHOR 368
Producer 271
Data Manager 225
GHRC USER SERVICES 181
User Services 176
Data Originator 77
TECHNICAL CONTACT, DIF AUTHOR 54
Archiver 40
DIF AUTHOR, TECHNICAL CONTACT 35
INVESTIGATOR, TECHNICAL CONTACT  2
Distributor 2

ECS

<Contact>
  <Role/>
  <HoursofService/>
  <ContactInstructions/>
  <ContactOrganizationAddress>
    <StreetAddress/>
    <City/>
    <StateProvince/>
    <PostalCode/>
    <Country/>
  </ContactOrganizationAddress>
  <OrganizationTelephone>
    <TelephoneNumber/>
    <TelephoneNumberType/>
  </OrganizationTelephone>
  <OrganizationEmail>
    <ElectronicMailAddress/>
  </OrganizationEmail>
  <ContactPersons>
    <ContactFirstName/>
    <ContactMiddleName/>
    <ContactLastName/>
    <ContactJobPosition/>
  </ContactPersons>
</Contact>

Roles

The ECS Collection Metadata include eight roles:

Value	Count
Archive	4481
Data Originator	594
Distributor	6
Instrument	68
Investigator	851
Producer	3201
Quality Assessment	4
User Services	587

ISO

The ISO dialect combines people and organizations into the CI_ResponsibleParty object, a flexible structure that supports many combinations of organizations and people. Most objects that include associated responsible parties can have any number, so, for example, a citation can have people identified in any or all of the roles listed in the CI_RoleCode code list.

The structure of the CI_ResponsibleParty is:

<gmd:CI_ResponsibleParty>
  <gmd:individualName/>
  <gmd:organisationName/>
  <gmd:positionName/>
  <gmd:contactInfo>
    <gmd:CI_Contact>
      <gmd:phone/>
      <gmd:address>
        <gmd:CI_Address>
          <gmd:deliveryPoint/>
          <gmd:city/>
          <gmd:administrativeArea/>
          <gmd:postalCode/>
          <gmd:country/>
          <gmd:electronicMailAddress/>
        </gmd:CI_Address>
      </gmd:address>
      <gmd:onlineResource/>
      <gmd:hoursOfService/>
      <gmd:contactInstructions/>
    </gmd:CI_Contact>
  </gmd:contactInfo>
  <gmd:role/>
</gmd:CI_ResponsibleParty>

Roles

CI_RoleCode

ISO 19115	Added in ISO 19115-1
+ resourceProvider + custodian + owner + user + distributor + originator + pointOfContact + principalInvestigator + processor + publisher + author	+ sponsor + coAuthor + collaborator + editor + mediator + rightsHolder + contributor + funder + stakeholder

Crosswalks

Concept	Description	Dialect (Fit) Paths
Role	function performed by the responsible party	ISO (1) //gmd:CI_ResponsibleParty/gmd:role/gmd:CI_RoleCode ISO-1 (1) //cit:CI_Responsibility/cit:role/cit:CI_RoleCode DIF (1) /dif:DIF/dif:Personnel/dif:Role ECHO (1) /*/echo:Contacts/echo:Contact/echo:Role ECS (1) /*/ecs:Contact/ecs:Role
Organization Name	Name of the organization	ISO (1) //gmd:CI_ResponsibleParty/gmd:organisationName/gco:CharacterString ISO-1 (1) //cit:CI_Responsibility/cit:party/cit:CI_Organisation/cit:name/gco:CharacterString DIF (1) /dif:DIF/dif:Data_Center/dif:Data_Center_Name/dif:Short_Name DIF (1) /dif:DIF/dif:Data_Center/dif:Data_Center_Name/dif:Long_Name ECHO (1) /*/echo:Contacts/echo:Contact/echo:OrganizationName ECS (1) /*/ecs:Contact/ecs:ContactOrganizationName ECS (1) /*/ecs:Contact/ecs:ContactOrganizationName
Position Name	Name of the job or position in an organization	ISO (1) //gmd:CI_ResponsibleParty/gmd:positionName/gco:CharacterString ISO-1 (1) //cit:CI_Responsibility/cit:party/cit:CI_Organisation/cit:individual/cit:CI_Individual/cit:positionName/gco:CharacterString ECHO (1) /*/echo:Contacts/echo:Contact/echo:ContactPersons/echo:ContactPerson/echo:JobPosition ECS (1) /*/ecs:Contact/ecs:ContactPersons/ecs:ContactJobPosition
First Name	First name of the individual	ISO (2) //gmd:CI_ResponsibleParty/gmd:individualName/gco:CharacterString ISO-1 (2) //cit:CI_Responsibility/cit:party/cit:CI_Organisation/cit:individual/cit:CI_Individual/cit:name/gco:CharacterString ISO-1 //cit:CI_Responsibility/cit:party/cit:CI_Individual/cit:name/gco:CharacterString DIF (1) /dif:DIF/dif:Personnel/dif:First_Name ECHO (1) /*/echo:Contacts/echo:Contact/echo:ContactPersons/echo:ContactPerson/echo:FirstName ECS (1) /*/ecs:Contact/ecs:ContactPersons/ecs:ContactFirstName
Middle Name	Middle name of the individual	ISO (2) //gmd:CI_ResponsibleParty/gmd:individualName/gco:CharacterString ISO-1 (2) //cit:CI_Responsibility/cit:party/cit:CI_Organisation/cit:individual/cit:CI_Individual/cit:name/gco:CharacterString ISO-1 //cit:CI_Responsibility/cit:party/cit:CI_Individual/cit:name/gco:CharacterString DIF (1) /dif:DIF/dif:Personnel/dif:Middle_Name ECHO (1) /*/echo:Contacts/echo:Contact/echo:ContactPersons/echo:ContactPerson/echo:MiddleName ECS (1) /*/ecs:Contact/ecs:ContactPersons/ecs:ContactMiddleName
Last Name	Last name of the individual	ISO (2) //gmd:CI_ResponsibleParty/gmd:individualName/gco:CharacterString ISO-1 (2) //cit:CI_Responsibility/cit:party/cit:CI_Organisation/cit:individual/cit:CI_Individual/cit:name/gco:CharacterString ISO-1 //cit:CI_Responsibility/cit:party/cit:CI_Individual/cit:name/gco:CharacterString DIF (1) /dif:DIF/dif:Personnel/dif:Last_Name ECHO (1) /*/echo:Contacts/echo:Contact/echo:ContactPersons/echo:ContactPerson/echo:LastName ECS (1) /*/ecs:Contact/ecs:ContactPersons/ecs:ContactLastName
Email	Email address of the individual or organization	ISO (1) //gmd:CI_ResponsibleParty/gmd:contactInfo/gmd:CI_Contact/gmd:address/gmd:CI_Address/gmd:electronicMailAddress/gco:CharacterString ISO-1 //cit:CI_Responsibility/cit:party/cit:CI_Organisation/cit:contactInfo/cit:CI_Contact/cit:address/cit:CI_Address/cit:electronicMailAddress/gco:CharacterString ISO-1 //cit:CI_Responsibility/cit:party/cit:CI_Individual/cit:contactInfo/cit:CI_Contact/cit:address/cit:CI_Address/cit:electronicMailAddress/gco:CharacterString DIF (1) /dif:DIF/dif:Personnel/dif:Email ECHO (1) /*/echo:Contacts/echo:Contact/echo:OrganizationEmails/echo:Email ECS (1) /*/ecs:Contact/ecs:OrganizationEmail/ecs:ElectronicMailAddress
Hours of Service	Time period (including time zone) when individuals can contact the organisation or individual	ISO (1) //gmd:CI_ResponsibleParty/gmd:contactInfo/gmd:CI_Contact/gmd:hoursOfService/gco:CharacterString ISO-1 //cit:CI_Responsibility/cit:party/cit:CI_Organisation/cit:contactInfo/cit:CI_Contact/cit:hoursOfService/gco:CharacterString ISO-1 //cit:CI_Responsibility/cit:party/cit:CI_Individual/cit:contactInfo/cit:CI_Contact/cit:hoursOfService/gco:CharacterString ECHO (1) /*/echo:Contacts/echo:Contact/echo:HoursOfService ECS (1) /*/ecs:Contact/ecs:HoursofService
Contact Instructions	Supplemental instructions on how or when to contact the individual or organisation	ISO (1) //gmd:CI_ResponsibleParty/gmd:contactInfo/gmd:CI_Contact/gmd:contactInstructions/gco:CharacterString ISO-1 //cit:CI_Responsibility/cit:party/cit:CI_Organisation/cit:contactInfo/cit:CI_Contact/cit:contactInstructions/gco:CharacterString ISO-1 //cit:CI_Responsibility/cit:party/cit:CI_Individual/cit:contactInfo/cit:CI_Contact/cit:contactInstructions/gco:CharacterString ECHO (1) /*/echo:Contacts/echo:Contact/echo:Instructions ECS (1) /*/ecs:Contact/ecs:ContactInstructions
Phone	Telephone numbers at which the organisation or individual may be contacted	ISO (1) //gmd:CI_ResponsibleParty/gmd:contactInfo/gmd:CI_Contact/gmd:phone/gmd:CI_Telephone/gmd:voice/gco:CharacterString ISO-1 //cit:CI_Responsibility/cit:party/cit:CI_Individual/cit:contactInfo/cit:CI_Contact/cit:phone/cit:CI_Telephone[cit:numberType/cit:CI_TelephoneTypeCode='voice'] ISO-1 //cit:CI_Responsibility/cit:party/cit:CI_Organisation/cit:contactInfo/cit:CI_Contact/cit:phone/cit:CI_Telephone[cit:numberType/cit:CI_TelephoneTypeCode='voice'] DIF (1) /dif:DIF/dif:Personnel/dif:Phone ECHO (1) /*/echo:Contacts/echo:Contact/echo:OrganizationPhones/echo:Phone[echo:type='voice]'/echo:Number ECS (1) /*/ecs:Contact/ecs:OrganizationTelephone[ecs:TelephoneNumberType='Voice']/ecs:TelephoneNumber
Fax	Telephone numbers at which the organisation or individual may be contacted via facsimile (fax)	ISO (1) //gmd:CI_ResponsibleParty/gmd:contactInfo/gmd:CI_Contact/gmd:phone/gmd:CI_Telephone/gmd:facsimile/gco:CharacterString ISO-1 //cit:CI_Responsibility/cit:party/cit:CI_Individual/cit:contactInfo/cit:CI_Contact/cit:phone/cit:CI_Telephone[cit:numberType/cit:CI_TelephoneTypeCode='facsimile'] ISO-1 //cit:CI_Responsibility/cit:party/cit:CI_Organisation/cit:contactInfo/cit:CI_Contact/cit:phone/cit:CI_Telephone[cit:numberType/cit:CI_TelephoneTypeCode='facsimile'] DIF (1) /dif:DIF/dif:Personnel/dif:Fax ECHO (1) /*/echo:Contacts/echo:Contact/echo:OrganizationPhones/echo:Phone[echo:type='fax]'/echo:Number ECS (1) /*/ecs:Contact/ecs:OrganizationTelephone[ecs:TelephoneNumberType='Facsimile']/ecs:TelephoneNumber
Address	Address line for the location	ISO (1) //gmd:CI_ResponsibleParty/gmd:contactInfo/gmd:CI_Contact/gmd:address/gmd:CI_Address/gmd:deliveryPoint/gco:CharacterString ISO-1 //cit:CI_Responsibility/cit:party/cit:CI_Individual/cit:contactInfo/cit:CI_Contact/cit:address/cit:CI_Address/cit:deliveryPoint/gco:CharacterString ISO-1 //cit:CI_Responsibility/cit:party/cit:CI_Organisation/cit:contactInfo/cit:CI_Contact/cit:address/cit:CI_Address/cit:deliveryPoint/gco:CharacterString DIF (1) /dif:DIF/dif:Personnel/dif:Contact_Address/dif:Address ECHO (1) /*/echo:Contacts/echo:Contact/echo:OrganizationAddresses/echo:Address/echo:StreetAddress ECS (1) /*/ecs:Contact/ecs:ContactOrganizationAddress/ecs:StreetAddress
City	City of the location	ISO (1) //gmd:CI_ResponsibleParty/gmd:contactInfo/gmd:CI_Contact/gmd:address/gmd:CI_Address/gmd:city/gco:CharacterString ISO-1 //cit:CI_Responsibility/cit:party/cit:CI_Individual/cit:contactInfo/cit:CI_Contact/cit:address/cit:CI_Address/cit:city/gco:CharacterString ISO-1 //cit:CI_Responsibility/cit:party/cit:CI_Organisation/cit:contactInfo/cit:CI_Contact/cit:address/cit:CI_Address/cit:city/gco:CharacterString DIF (1) /dif:DIF/dif:Personnel/dif:Contact_Address/dif:City ECHO (1) /*/echo:Contacts/echo:Contact/echo:OrganizationAddresses/echo:Address/echo:City ECS (1) /*/ecs:Contact/ecs:ContactOrganizationAddress/ecs:City
Province or State	Province, state, or other administrative area of the location	ISO (1) //gmd:CI_ResponsibleParty/gmd:contactInfo/gmd:CI_Contact/gmd:address/gmd:CI_Address/gmd:administrativeArea/gco:CharacterString ISO-1 //cit:CI_Responsibility/cit:party/cit:CI_Individual/cit:contactInfo/cit:CI_Contact/cit:address/cit:CI_Address/cit:administrativeArea/gco:CharacterString ISO-1 //cit:CI_Responsibility/cit:party/cit:CI_Organisation/cit:contactInfo/cit:CI_Contact/cit:address/cit:CI_Address/cit:administrativeArea/gco:CharacterString DIF (1) /dif:DIF/dif:Personnel/dif:Contact_Address/dif:Province_or_State ECHO (1) /*/echo:Contacts/echo:Contact/echo:OrganizationAddresses/echo:Address/echo:StateProvince ECS (1) /*/ecs:Contact/ecs:ContactOrganizationAddress/ecs:StateProvince
Postal_Code	Zip code or other postal code for the location	ISO (1) //gmd:CI_ResponsibleParty/gmd:contactInfo/gmd:CI_Contact/gmd:address/gmd:CI_Address/gmd:postalCode/gco:CharacterString ISO-1 //cit:CI_Responsibility/cit:party/cit:CI_Individual/cit:contactInfo/cit:CI_Contact/cit:address/cit:CI_Address/cit:postalCode/gco:CharacterString ISO-1 //cit:CI_Responsibility/cit:party/cit:CI_Organisation/cit:contactInfo/cit:CI_Contact/cit:address/cit:CI_Address/cit:postalCode/gco:CharacterString DIF (1) /dif:DIF/dif:Personnel/dif:Contact_Address/dif:Postal_Code ECHO (1) /*/echo:Contacts/echo:Contact/echo:OrganizationAddresses/echo:Address/echo:PostalCode ECS (1) /*/ecs:Contact/ecs:ContactOrganizationAddress/ecs:PostalCode
Country	Country of the location	ISO (1) //gmd:CI_ResponsibleParty/gmd:contactInfo/gmd:CI_Contact/gmd:address/gmd:CI_Address/gmd:country/gco:CharacterString ISO-1 //cit:CI_Responsibility/cit:party/cit:CI_Individual/cit:contactInfo/cit:CI_Contact/cit:address/cit:CI_Address/cit:country/gco:CharacterString ISO-1 //cit:CI_Responsibility/cit:party/cit:CI_Organisation/cit:contactInfo/cit:CI_Contact/cit:address/cit:CI_Address/cit:country/gco:CharacterString DIF (1) /dif:DIF/dif:Personnel/dif:Contact_Address/dif:Country ECHO (1) /*/echo:Contacts/echo:Contact/echo:OrganizationAddresses/echo:Address/echo:Country ECS (1) /*/ecs:Contact/ecs:ContactOrganizationAddress/ecs:Country
Web Page	On-line information that can be used to contact the individual or organisation	ISO (1) //gmd:CI_ResponsibleParty/gmd:contactInfo/gmd:CI_Contact/gmd:onlineResource/gmd:CI_OnlineResource ISO-1 /mdb:MD_Metadata/mdb:contact/cit:CI_Responsibility/cit:party/cit:CI_Organisation/cit:contactInfo/cit:CI_Contact/cit:onlineResource/cit:CI_OnlineResource ISO-1 /mdb:MD_Metadata/mdb:contact/cit:CI_Responsibility/cit:party/cit:CI_Individual/cit:contactInfo/cit:CI_Contact/cit:onlineResource/cit:CI_OnlineResource DIF (1) /dif:DIF/dif:Data_Center/dif:Data_Center_URL

xPath Note: The xPaths included in this table use several wildcards. // means any path, so //gmd:CI_ResponsibleParty indicates a gmd:CI_ResponsibleParty anywhere in an XML file. /*/ indicates a single level with several possible elements. This usually indicates one of several concrete realizations of an abstract object. For example /*/gmd:identificationInfo could be gmd:MD_Metadata/gmd:identificationInfo or gmi:MI_Metadata/gmd:identificationInfo and gmd:identificationInfo//*/gmd:descriptiveKeywords could be gmd:identificationInfo/gmd:MD_DataIdentification/gmd:descriptiveKeywords or gmd:identificationInfo/srv:SV_ServiceIdentification/gmd:descriptiveKeywords.

Fit: The fit of the dialect path with the concept is estimated on a scale of 1 = excellent two-way fit, 2 = one-way fit or some other problem, 3 - extension required.

Section 3 - Metadata Implementation