Appendix A: 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	Human-readable name of the asset. Should be in plain English and include sufficient detail to facilitate search and discovery.	Always
	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
	Tags	Tags (or keywords) help users discover your dataset; please include terms that would be used by technical and non-technical users.	Always
	Last Update	Most recent date on which the dataset was changed, updated or modified.	Always
	Publisher	The publishing entity and optionally their parent organization(s).	Always
	Contact Name and Email	Contact person's name and email for the asset.	Always
	Unique Identifier	A unique identifier for the dataset or API as maintained within an Agency catalog or database.	Always
	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		If-Applicable
	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	The range of spatial applicability of a dataset. Could include a spatial region like a bounding box or a named place.	If-Applicable
	Temporal	The range of temporal applicability of a dataset (i.e., a start and end date of applicability for the data).	If-Applicable
	Distribution		If-Applicable
	Metadata Type		No
	Frequency	The frequency with which dataset is published.	No
	Data Standard	URI used to identify a standardized specification the dataset conforms to.	No
	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
	Data Dictionary Type		No
	Collection	The collection of which the dataset is a subset.	No
	Release Date	Date of formal issuance.	No
	Language	The language of the dataset.	No
	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
	Related Documents	Related documents such as technical information about a dataset, developer documentation, etc.	No
	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
	Bureau Code		Always
	Program Code		Always
	Data Quality	Whether the dataset meets the agency's Information Quality Guidelines (true/false).	No
	Primary IT Investment UII	For linking a dataset with an IT Unique Investment Identifier (UII).	No
	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