Good morning -

I'm seeking guidance for how institutions manage the versioning of GIS-based map publications.  For example:

    -  Do you re-release the entire dataset, or just the area(s) that was revised (perhaps not a big issue for local maps, but could be a significant issue for regional or statewide compilations)?

    -  What documentation, aside from the metadata (e.g., ISO or FGDC), do you provide with the new version?

    -  How do you announce or advertise the new version?

    -  Do you have a method for directly notifying users of the previous version?  Or must you rely on them to discover the new version at your site?


We're beginning to set up the USGS/AASG National Geologic Map Databases’ repository for both published and unpublished GIS and ancillary data and documents, from various providers, and would really appreciate your insight (and example URLs).

Thanks for any guidance…

David R. Soller
U.S. Geological Survey
Chief, National Geologic Map Database (https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/)
Chair, FGDC Geologic Data Subcommittee