Quality Assurance Procedure for Ground-Water Metadata Entries

General and applicable to most fields

• Are all required fields populated? This will be rechecked with the submit button.
• If no information is entered into an optional field, is it blank? Please leave fields with no response blank—do not enter N/A or none.
• Do all fields contain adequate information so that an individual can understand precisely what the dataset contains and how to obtain a copy of it?
• Did you have someone else familiar with the dataset check the metadata entries?
• Is grammar and spelling reasonable and has it been checked? Can you have a technical editor check the metadata?
• Are all acronyms spelled out or otherwise defined?
• Are all dates accurate?
• Is the completed hard copy form kept in an accessible location for future reference?
  

Field specific

1.1 Owner / originator

• Is it clear which agency and division (if applicable) owns, maintains, and distributes the dataset?

1.2 Database title

• Does the title provide an adequate description of the dataset?

• Do other people know this dataset by a different name? If so, please make a note of the alternative name(s) in “7.1 Detailed narrative description.”

2.1 Web accessibility

• Is any part of the dataset available on the Internet? If so, is the URL provided in 2.2 below?

2.2 Web address

• Is the complete URL provided and does it include the “http://” prefix?
• Did you test the URL to make sure it links to the correct location?

2.3 Fees or charges

• Are there any fees associated with obtaining these data in the export format described in item 2.4 below?
• If yes, is the fee structure explained in “2.7 Distribution Information Remarks” below?

2.4 Export formats

• Are the format(s) or software name(s) spelled correctly?
• Is the version of the software included? 2.5 Contact phone
• Did you include the area code?
• Did you test the phone number to make sure you got the correct person?

2.6 Contact Email

• Did you test the email to make sure you emailed the correct person?
  

2.7 Distribution information remarks

• If applicable, did you include information regarding fees or charges?
• Are there any special ftp directions or other information required to obtain these data?

3.1 Spatial information

• Is the dataset truly statewide or does it selectively cover parts of the state only?
• Are the counties selected correctly?
  

4.1 Digital format

• Is any part of the dataset available in digital format?

4.2 Primary digital format

• Is the format or software name spelled correctly?
• Is the version of the software included?

4.3 Secondary digital format

• Is the format or software name spelled correctly?
• Is the version of the software included?

4.4 Nondigital format

• Is the nondigital format explained adequately?
• Do other people refer to this format by a different name?

4.5 Beginning date for period of record

• Is the year correct?
• Did you test this year by sorting the data in ascending order?

4.6 Ending date for period of record

• Is the year correct?
• Did you test this year by sorting the data in descending order?

4.7 Update frequency

• Do you have records of update frequency? If so, do they match your response?

5.0 Data content

• Are all the contents and data use categories accurate?
• Are there additional data in the dataset that can be described with different key words? If so, please make sure that these words are included in “7.1 Detailed narrative description.”

6.1 Metadata update history

• Is the format correct (i.e. MM/DD/YYYY)?
• Did you include your name on the entry?
• Are all significant metadata edits noted in this field?

7.1 Detailed narrative description

• Is this a short and concise description of the dataset that fosters “truth in advertising?”
• Is there duplication of information given above?
• Finally, did all the people who created, entered, and checked the metadata listed on the last 3 fields of the hard copy?