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Subject: GIS data search tools: how do you handle keywords?
Date: Tue, 1 Jun 2010 15:00:25 -0400
From: Jeff Essic <[log in to unmask]>
To: Maps, Air Photo & Geospatial Systems Forum <[log in to unmask]>
Greetings, and please excuse cross-postings,
We are looking into normalizing incoming FGDC keyword metadata to
improve our local GIS data search. We are surveying the terrain to see
what other folks are up to in terms of dealing with the problem of
uncontrolled incoming keywords assigned by metadata creators. There are
a few options as we see it: leave as is and let users browse/search
uncontrolled metadata provider keywords (what we currently do),
normalize the keywords as they come in using a controlled vocabulary,
retain existing keywords but assign additional categories on top of
providers' keywords to serve as a browsable grouping for users (seems
like many use ISO 19115 Topic Categories for this), or retain keywords
but also assign additional keywords from some something like LCSH. We've
recently conducted a study with advanced GIS researchers and found that
leaving the metadata provider assigned keywords for search and browsing
can be quite confusing for them, leading to incomplete search results,
missed resources, and general confusion.
We were wondering if people wouldn't mind sharing their own experiences
with us:
* What processes did you try to fix the problem of uncontrolled keywords
and how they affect browsing and searching within your systems for the
users?
* What kind of staff time has your solution required?
* Did you consider normalizing incoming keywords, and why didn't you if
not?
* What vocabularies are you using or did you consider using, and why?
* Does anyone have before/after assessment data that implies an improved
user experience created by your efforts?
* What metadata fields are you indexing in a user's keyword search?
Thanks so much,
Joyce Chapman, Liz Bell, and Jeff Essic
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Jeff Essic, Data Services Librarian
North Carolina State University
D.H. Hill Library, Research & Information Services
Box 7111, Raleigh, NC 27695-7111
(919) 515-5698
http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/gis
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