Appendix: Sample Dataset Metadata

Standard Dataset Fields

The U.S. federal government has created the Project Open Data metadata schema standard to implement the federal open data policy. The Project Open Data schema is based on the international DCAT metadata schema used by open data programs around the world and has been mapped to many standards. The Project Open Data schema must be preseneted as a JSON file to be ingested by Data.gov. This schema is natively available with many open data portal providers including: Azavea, Esri Open Data, NuCivic's DKAN, OpenGov, and Socrata, and is easily added to CKAN sites with an extension or can be generated on an ad hoc basis with these tools.

Field	Label	Definition	Required
title	Title	Human-readable name of the asset. Should be in plain English and include sufficient detail to facilitate search and discovery.	Always
description	Description	Human-readable description (e.g., an abstract) with sufficient detail to enable a user to quickly understand whether the asset is of interest.	Always
keyword	Tags	Tags (or keywords) help users discover your dataset; please include terms that would be used by technical and non-technical users.	Always
modified	Last Update	Most recent date on which the dataset was changed, updated or modified.	Always
publisher	Publisher	The publishing entity and optionally their parent organization(s).	Always
contactPoint	Contact Name and Email	Contact person's name and email for the asset.	Always
identifier	Unique Identifier	A unique identifier for the dataset or API as maintained within an Agency catalog or database.	Always
accessLevel	Public Access Level	The degree to which this dataset could be made publicly-available, regardless of whether it has been made available. Choices: public (Data asset is or could be made publicly available to all without restrictions), restricted public (Data asset is available under certain use restrictions), or non-public (Data asset is not available to members of the public).	Always
license	License	The license or non-license (i.e. Public Domain) status with which the dataset or API has been published. See Open Licenses for more information.	If-Applicable
rights	Rights	This may include information regarding access or restrictions based on privacy, security, or other policies. This should also serve as an explanation for the selected “accessLevel” including instructions for how to access a restricted file, if applicable, or explanation for why a “non-public” or “restricted public” data asset is not “public,” if applicable. Text, 255 characters.	If-Applicable
spatial	Spatial	The range of spatial applicability of a dataset. Could include a spatial region like a bounding box or a named place.	If-Applicable
temporal	Temporal	The range of temporal applicability of a dataset (i.e., a start and end date of applicability for the data).	If-Applicable
distribution	Distribution	A container for the array of Distribution objects. See Dataset Distribution Fields below for details.	If-Applicable
@type	Metadata Type	IRI for the JSON-LD data type. This should be dcat:Dataset for each Dataset.	No
accrualPeriodicity	Frequency	The frequency with which dataset is published.	No
conformsTo	Data Standard	URI used to identify a standardized specification the dataset conforms to.	No
describedBy	Data Dictionary	URL to the data dictionary for the dataset. Note that documentation other than a data dictionary can be referenced using Related Documents (references).	No
describedByType	Data Dictionary Type	The machine-readable file format (IANA Media Type also known as MIME Type) of the dataset's Data Dictionary (describedBy).	No
isPartOf	Collection	The collection of which the dataset is a subset.	No
issued	Release Date	Date of formal issuance.	No
language	Language	The language of the dataset.	No
landingPage	Homepage URL	This field is not intended for an agency's homepage (e.g. www.agency.gov), but rather if a dataset has a human-friendly hub or landing page that users can be directed to for all resources tied to the dataset.	No
references	Related Documents	Related documents such as technical information about a dataset, developer documentation, etc.	No
theme	Category	Main thematic category of the dataset.	No

Federal Dataset Fields

The U.S. federal requirement also requires the following metadata fields. You should consider requiring local department codes, systems of record, and associated IT spending if helpful for your open data catalog. If you do not have unique governmentwide codes related to these areas, you might consider creating those.

Field	Label	Definition	Required
bureauCodeUSG	Bureau Code	Federal agencies, combined agency and bureau code from OMB Circular A-11, Appendix C (PDF, CSV) in the format of 015:11.	Always
programCodeUSG	Program Code	Federal agencies, list the primary program related to this data asset, from the Federal Program Inventory. Use the format of 015:001.	Always
dataQualityUSG	Data Quality	Whether the dataset meets the agency's Information Quality Guidelines (true/false).	No
primaryITInvestmentUIIUSG	Primary IT Investment UII	For linking a dataset with an IT Unique Investment Identifier (UII).	No
systemOfRecordsUSG	System of Records	If the system is designated as a system of records under the Privacy Act of 1974, provide the URL to the System of Records Notice related to this dataset.	No