[REVISION] Chapter: Chapter 4 - Spatial Data

[alfalimajuliett]

What guide are you proposing revisions for?

• EML Best Practices guide
• Dataset Design For Special Cases
• Domain Specific Guides

Chapter and Revision Information

Chapter Number: 4
Chapter Title: Spatial Data
Current Version/Commit: Version 2 prerelease
File Path: guide-special-cases/spatial-data.qmd
Reviewer(s):
Review Date: 2025-09-08

Revision overview

The spatial data section of the guide would greatly benefit from more examples of how to fill out the elements of spatialVector/Raster (see below) so that more people adopt that practice to ensure adequate CRS and positional accuracy documentation. We also recommend expanding the format coverage listed, especially guidance on cloud-optimized formats and how to point to large spatial datasets that are not stored on EDI. Most of out feedback is in the Missing Content section as we believe more details and examples will help eliminate barriers to archiving spatial data

Detailed Content Feedback

Major Issues

Identify and describe any major content revisions needed for the chapter. Please identify by section header or line numbers, and itemize multiple proposed changes by adding to the numbered list below.

1. Issue: [Lots of cloud formats for storing spatial data not mentioned here]

• Location: [Data Formats]
• Current text: []
• Suggested change: [guidance on how to point to cloud spatial datasets from EDI of external repositories]
• Rationale: [size limitations of large rasters, many people may be using cloud-optimized formats (COG, Zarr, GeoParquet, FlatGeobuf)]

2. Issue: [descriptions of pros and cons seem unclear]

• Location: [Document as spatial[Raster, Vector] vs. otherEntity in EML]
• Current text: [spatialRaster,Vector
  Cons
  Data may not originate in ArcGIS, requiring a custom workflow to generate spatial entity EML]
• Suggested change: possibly remove
• Rationale: [it seems like you would need a custom workflow to add the level of detail needed anyway? No one in our group has used ArcGIS for a while, so we are uncertain on what the output of its metadata generation looks like and how it fits into EML, but if it does not explicitly populate elements for CRS with EPSG and projection, then it seems it should be downplayed as a reason to go with otherEntity perhaps]

Minor Issues

Identify and describe minor content issues that should be revised. Please identify by section header or line numbers.

• Data Formats [X]: [include file extensions next to formats]
• Line/Section [X]: [add more issues as needed...]

Missing Content

Describe new content that should be added to the chapter. Include a suggested location for the addition, and if suggesting text include it in quotes.

• [add Arc/Info ASCII Grid (.asc) as Esri formats worth mentioning]
• [File Size Considerations: Guidelines for splitting large datasets]
• [Compression Recommendations: When and how to compress spatial data]
• [Null Value Handling: How to document and handle missing spatial data]
• [Transform Documentation: Guidelines for documenting coordinate transformations performed]
• [encourage GCMD keywords?]
• beyond temporal and geographic extent for context, for raster imagery include practice of describing weather conditions on day of collection
• list geometry types - polygon, points, lines for those not familiar with those categories
• suggested workflow for GIS ecosystem being used?
• link to all the file formats that GDAL can support and deprecations, raster drivers, vector drivers

Structure and Formatting

Describe any necessary restructuring or formatting changes for the chapter. This may include comments about organization, section/heading hierarchies, formatting consistency, use of figures/tables, citations and references, etc.

• [include examples different kinds of spatial data - imagery, shapefile, drone images]

  <horizCoordSysName>WGS84 UTM Zone 15N</horizCoordSysName>
  <projCoordSysName>EPSG:32615</projCoordSysName>
  <geogCoordSys>
    <datum>WGS84</datum>
    <spheroid>WGS84</spheroid>
    <primeMeridian>Greenwich</primeMeridian>
  </geogCoordSys>
</spatialReference>]

• [links to datasets on EDI that have described spatial data well]
• [include header for things to remember to include in the method steps, describe the spatial relationship to any related datasets]

Style

Describe any style or writing issues that should be addressed. This may include comments about language, grammar, technical level, consistent terminology, flow, etc.

• [Suggestion for improving style]
• [add more items as needed...]
• [reminders to include corrections on imagery, drone model, QA level- like if clouds have been removed with software, etc. ]

Technical Revisions

Fact checks

Briefly describe any specific claims, data, or other technical details that need verification or validation.

• [Describe fact check needed]
• [add more items as needed...]

Code/Figures Review

List any issues with code examples and figures. Identify code examples that are incorrect or non-functional, or that don't follow established style guidelines. Are the figures clear, relevant, and helpful?

• [Describe code/figure issue]
• [add more items as needed...]

Cross-referencing and Hyperlinks

List any issues with internal document references, or with links to outside resources.

• [Describe cross-ref/hyperlink issue]
• [add more items as needed...]

Bibliography

List any sources that are improperly cited, missing, out-of-date, or poorly formatted. To suggest new references include the full citation.

• [Describe bibliography issue]
• [add more items as needed....]

Additional Recommendations and Comments

Do you have any other recommendations or comments?