What is it ?
Link to the Metadata Editor
This tool was designed by NCEI (National Center for Environmental Information, USA) to easily enter metadata information. The system automatically generates an .xml file that is interoperable. After submission to the SOCAT database, this .xml file is used to automatically generate a PDF file, easier to read and to check for Quality Controllers (aka QCers).
Why using it ?
Metadata are essential to provide context for data: their history, how they were produced, their accuracy, their traceability, etc. They also make it possible to compare datasets with one another and to track the evolution of technologies used to expand the database. Metadata are fundamental to the description of any dataset. However, while their presence is required, it is their precision, completeness, and interoperability that determine their true value.
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- Precision: metadata should ideally be as accurate and detailed as possible, describing methods, instruments, calibration procedures, temporal and spatial coverage, and any sources of uncertainty, so that the data can be correctly interpreted and reused.
- Completeness: metadata should ideally cover all relevant aspects of the dataset, including data provenance, processing steps, and contact information, ensuring full transparency throughout the data lifecycle.
- Interoperability: metadata should follow common standards and formats, allowing them to be easily exchanged, understood, and reused across different platforms, databases, and communities.
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How to use it ?
Depending on your situation, you may either generate a version from scratch (i.e., situation 1) or upload an existing version (e.g., last year’s version) and modify only the fields that have changed (i.e., situation 2). This second option avoids the need to re-enter all the information from scratch.
Watch the following video to have a quick overview :
Situation 1 – You use the metadata editor for the first time
First of all, please go to the online metadata editor. It consists of a questionnaire that includes all the essential and optional information to be provided in metadata files to submit to SOCAT. Note : If you do not have an account, please request one by sending an email to oar.pmel.socat.support@noaa.gov. It is the same account used for dataset QC.
On the left-hand side, you will find the menu, with different tabs corresponding to the following categories: Citation information, Data submitter, Investigators, Time and location information, Funding, Platforms, CO₂ variable information, and Other variables. In the main window, you will find the form itself.
Some fields are outlined in white or grey, while others are outlined in red and marked with an asterisk. This indicates the distinction between optional information and essential, required information. We encourage you to fill in as many fields as possible.
Once you think all the required fields have been completed, click Validate. The system will then check whether all required information has been provided and whether any values are missing. Any missing information will be indicated by the corresponding categories in the left-hand menu turning red. If the form is complete, it will become “available for download”.
The other fields are not mandatory for a SOCAT submission, but the more information you provide, the better. If you have this information available, we strongly encourage you to include it. When the form is complete, click Download, then save the file. Select the desired folder and specify the desired filename.
Important! Information is not saved on the tool’s servers. If you wish to save your progress (you must have entered an expocode), please click Download and continue working on the document later by following Situation 2.
You can preview the metadata file by clicking on Preview.
If you already have an Excel file (.xlsx) from a previous cruise, or an .xml file from a previous year, and you wish to upload it into the editor, please click on Choose File: and browse your computer to locate the .xlsx/.xml file. Open the document and then click Upload. The information available in the selected file will automatically be imported and used to populate the online form, where you will be able to modify it if necessary.
Once you think all the required fields have been completed, click Validate. The system will then check whether all required information has been provided. Any missing information will be indicated by the corresponding categories in the left-hand menu turning red. If the form is complete, it will become “available for download”.
The other fields are not mandatory for a SOCAT submission, but the more information you provide, the better. If you have this information available, we strongly encourage you to include it.
When the form is complete, click Download, then save the file. Select the desired folder and specify a filename.