Updated: 02 Dec 2019
Metadata guidelines
Section 4: GLOBAL ATTRIBUTES
To facilitate the understanding of the Global Attributes, three categories have been defined, namely Originator Attributes (Section 4.1), Dataset Attributes (Section 4.2) and File Attributes (Section 4.3). Each metadata parameter in these 3 groups is specified once for each data file. All these attributes (with some very few exceptions) need to be filled in.
Section 4.1: Originator Attributes
The Originator Attribute metadata entries describe the ownership of the data found in a given file as well as the guidelines for the use and/or publication of these data.
| Originator Attributes | Section | Entry | Entry type | Req |
| PI_NAME | 4.1.1 | Family name; Given Names | 2 semi-colon separated | x |
| PI_AFFILIATION | 4.1.2 | Affiliation name, Affiliation Acronym | 2 semi-colon separated | x |
| PI_ADDRESS | 4.1.3 | Address; Postal code; Country name | 3 semi-colon separated | x |
| PI_EMAIL | 4.1.4 | E-mail address | Single field | x |
| DO_NAME | 4.1.5 | Family name; Given Names | 2 semi-colon separated | x |
| DO_AFFILIATION | 4.1.6 | Affiliation name; Affiliation Acronym | 2 semi-colon separated | x |
| DO_ADDRESS | 4.1.7 | Address; Postal code; Country name | 3 semi-colon separated | x |
| DO_EMAIL | 4.1.8 | E-mail address | Single field | x |
| DS_NAME | 4.1.9 | Family name; Given Names | 2 semi-colon separated | x |
| DS_AFFILIATION | 4.1.10 | Affiliation name, Affiliation Acronym | 2 semi-colon separated | x |
| DS_ADDRESS | 4.1.11 | Address; Postal code; Country name | 3 semi-colon separated | x |
| DS_EMAIL | 4.1.12 | E-mail address | Single field | x |
Section 4.2: DATASET ATTRIBUTES
The global Dataset Attributes provide detailed description of the data contained in the given file. These attributes include the type and identity of the instrument or model, the discipline of the data, a list of the variables included in the file, etc.
| Dataset Attributes | Section | Entry | Entry type | Req |
| DATA_DESCRIPTION | 4.2.1 | Data description | Single entry or file reference | |
| DATA_DISCIPLINE | 4.2.2 | Field; Class; Subclass | 3 semi-colon separated | x |
| DATA_GROUP | 4.2.3 | Type; Subtype | 2 semi-colon separated | x |
| DATA_LOCATION | 4.2.4 | Location code name | Single field | x |
| DATA_SOURCE | 4.2.5 | Concatenated: Data_SOURCE Type + Institute acronym + 3-digit identifier | Concatenated entry | x |
| DATA_VARIABLES | 4.2.6 | List of variables in the file | n semi-colon separated | x |
| DATA_START_DATE | 4.2.7 | ISO 8601 | Single field | x |
| DATA_STOP_DATE | 4.2.8 | ISO 8601 | Single field | x |
| DATA_FILE_VERSION | 4.2.9 | 3 digit integer | Single field (ddd) | x |
| DATA_MODIFICATIONS | 4.2.10 | Description of the data modifications | Single field | |
| DATA_CAVEATS | 4.2.11 | Description of the data caveats | Single field | |
| DATA_RULES_OF_USE | 4.2.12 | Description of the data rules of use | Single field | |
| DATA_ACKNOWLEDGEMENT | 4.2.13 | Data acknowledgement | Single field | |
| DATA_QUALITY | 4.2.14 | Description of data quality | Single field | |
| DATA_TEMPLATE | 4.2.15 | Specification of applicable data template | Single field | |
| DATA_PROCESSOR | 4.2.16 | Reference to applied data processor | Single field |
Section 4.3: FILE ATTRIBUTES
The global File Attributes provide detailed description of the data file. These attributes include the file name and generation date, the names of projects that have access to the file, and the version of the metadata used in the given file.
| File Attributes | Section | Entry | Entry type | Req |
| FILE_NAME | 4.3.1 | Concatenated and underscore separated | Concatenated entry | x |
| FILE_GENERATION_DATE | 4.3.2 | ISO 8601 | Single field | x |
| FILE_ACCESS | 4.3.3 | File project association | Semi-colon separated | x |
| FILE_PROJECT_ID | 4.3.4 | Custom project identification related to 4.3.3 | Semi-colon separated | x |
| FILE_ASSOCIATION | 4.3.5 | File "other" project association | Semi-colon separated | |
| FILE_META_VERSION | 4.3.6 | Meta data version (table.dat) used to generate the file | Two semicolon-separated fields | x |
| FILE_DOI | 4.3.7 | Digital Object Identifier | Single field | x |
Section 5: VARIABLE ATTRIBUTES
Unlike the global attributes, the variable attributes refer specifically to one single variable. For each variable listed under DATA_VARIABLES in section 4.2.7, there must be one section containing the metadata parameters described under Section 5.1 below.
Section 5.1: VARIABLE DESCRIPTION ATTRIBUTES
| Variable Description Attributes | Section | Entry | Entry type | Req |
| VAR_NAME | 5.1.1 | Concatenated, underscore seperated | Single field | x |
| VAR_DESCRIPTION | 5.1.2 | Detailed variable description | Single field | x |
| VAR_NOTES | 5.1.3 | Variable notes/warnings | Single field | |
| VAR_SIZE | 5.1.4 | The size of each dimension of the variable | n semi-colon separated | x |
| VAR_DEPEND | 5.1.5 | List of variables that the dimensions depend on | n semi-colon separated | x |
| VAR_DATA_TYPE | 5.1.6 | The data type of a variable | Single field | x |
| VAR_UNITS | 5.1.7 | Variable units | Single field | x |
| VAR_SI_CONVERSION | 5.1.8 | Constant; Multiplicator; SI unit | 3 semi-colon separated | x |
| VAR_VALID_MIN | 5.1.9 | Valid minimum or detection limit | Single field | x |
| VAR_VALID_MAX | 5.1.10 | Valid maximum or saturation limit | Single field | x |
| VAR_FILL_VALUE | 5.1.11 | Specification of missing data | Single field | x |
Example on metadata header: