Metadata Wizard

 Learn more about the Science Data Management Branch or explore our other data management tools.

What does this tool do?

• 

  Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details

  The USGS Metadata Wizard is a desktop application to create and edit XML metadata records that describe data products. The tool creates metadata in the Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata (CSDGM) format, as endorsed by the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC). Users can populate an XML metadata record by entering information in the form-based user interface, or by starting with an existing XML file. Output can be saved to a stand-alone XML file.

• The Metadata Wizard has the capability to parse information from certain geospatial and tabular file types to populate required fields in the metadata, and can partially automate the process of describing column (and value) definitions.

• The Metadata Wizard integrates with external lookup/import services. For example, users have the option to pull contact information from the USGS directory, keyword terms from the USGS Thesaurus, taxonomic information from the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS), and citation elements from metadata associated with Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs). The Metadata Wizard also provides a built-in CSDGM schema validator. 

Who is the audience for this tool?

• The primary audience for this tool is any data producers or data managers who need to describe data products. No affiliation with USGS is required for use; however, USGS authors will benefit from the USGS contact lookup and integration with the USGS keyword thesaurus provided in the tool.

• Geospatial data producers will likely benefit from the features for documenting GIS datasets. Esri^* users can elect to run the tool from an included ArcGIS^* toolbox for ArcGIS^* Desktop.

• Authors working with large data collections may benefit from the embedded Python library which allows many of the features of the Metadata Wizard to be scripted. The tool provides an easy way to run batch processing using a Jupyter Notebook environment.
  
   

How do I get started?

• The Metadata Wizard user guide is available at https://doi-usgs.github.io/fort-pymdwizard/. The user guide contains information on how to download and install the tool.

• The metadata section of the USGS Data Management Website has information on helpful metadata resources and best practices for metadata creation.

• For additional information or for bug reporting, please contact ask-sdm@usgs.gov.
  
   

Recommended Citation: Talbert, C.B., Ignizio, D.A., and Enns, K.D., 2017, Metadata Wizard (ver. 2.0.7, March 2022): U.S. Geological Survey software release, https://doi.org/10.5066/F7V9870D.

^*Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.