The UK GEMINI Working Group, operating under the Association for Geographic Information (AGI), has recently implemented several significant updates to the UK GEMINI metadata standard. These enhancements aim to improve clarity and usability for users across various sectors, but do not represent a breaking change in the standard.
Key Updates:
- Improved guidance on a number of elements, including Resource Locator, Keywords, Vertical Extents, Use Constraints: The guidance on these elements has been updated to reflect best practice in encoding, to update links to code list locations, and to align better with definitions in other metadata standards such as DCAT.
- Change to guidance on Limitations on Public Access: The guidance now includes links to the corresponding UK Statutory Regulations for each access limitation and provides guidance on how to proceed where no applicable INSPIRE reason can be found.
- Change of guidance on how to use Individual Names in Responsible Parties: In recognition of the fact that in scientific publication it is often necessary to cite individual names, the guidance on the use of names rather than roles has been updated.
These updates reflect the Working Group’s commitment to maintaining a robust and user-friendly metadata standard that aligns with evolving national and international guidelines, and best practices.
For more detailed information on these updates and to access the latest version of the UK GEMINI documentation, please visit the UK Gemini GitHub repository. Stakeholders and interested parties are encouraged to participate in the ongoing development by contributing feedback or suggestions through the repository’s issue tracker.
Background
The UK GEMINI Working Group, under the auspices of the Association for Geographic Information (AGI), continues to advance the standardization of geographic metadata through active development and community engagement. The group’s efforts are centered around the UK GEMINI (Geo-spatial Metadata Interoperability Initiative) standard, which provides guidance on publishing geographic metadata in alignment with UK government guidelines and relevant ISO standards.
In a strategic move to enhance transparency and collaboration, the Working Group migrated the UK GEMINI standard to GitHub in 2021. This transition facilitated easier reporting and tracking of issues, visibility into the resolution process, and opportunities for community contributions. The repository serves as the central hub for maintaining and updating the standard, ensuring that it evolves in response to user feedback and technological advancements.
The UK GEMINI standard, currently at version 2.3, is based on ISO 19115:2003 and has been instrumental in guiding organizations on how to publish geographic metadata that conforms to both UK government guidelines and international standards. It is the UK government’s recommended standard for describing geographic data (Using metadata to describe data shared within government – GOV.UK). The standard’s documentation, along with resources for implementation, is accessible through the AGI’s GitHub repository.
For more information on the UK GEMINI standard and to participate in its ongoing development, please visit the AGI’s GitHub repository or contact the GEMINI chairperson, Jo Cook, at info@agi.org.uk