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ISEAL Core Metadata Set Specification

This page provides a reference specification for the ISEAL Core Metadata set (ISEAL Core).

ISEAL Core is a set of structured terms and vocabularies that can be used as metadata to describe, share, and reuse different digital resources across the ISEAL Community and broader set of stakeholders. The resources described using the ISEAL Core are those that sustainability systems typically collect, curate, manage, use, publish and archive. They may be datasets, published research, certificates, videos, images, maps, or other organizational documentation.

Clusters and Modules

Metadata elements in ISEAL Core are organized around three clusters and ten modules.

Global Certification Impact
Coverage Assurance Evaluation
Form Certificate
Provenance Certificate Holder, Owner or Certified organization
Scope Certified Resource or Site
Status

Metadata Elements

ISEAL Core uses elements from the following standard metadata schemas:

  • Dublin Core Elements with the dc namespace prefix. These were originally designated in 1995 and are considered deprecated and superseded by Dublin Core Terms. Due to legacy code in the DSpace software we must still use some of these.
  • Dublin Core Terms with the dcterms namespace prefix. These contain the original Dublin Core Terms and add others. As of 2008 these supercede the original Dublin Core Elements.

General guidelines for metadata using ISEAL Core:

  • Encoding: metadata should be encoded in UTF-8 to ensure correct representation of international characters.
  • Applicability: metadata should describe what the item is, not what it isn't. If a metadata element is not applicable you should not use it. Do not enter "N/A"!
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Global Cluster

{{ $cluster := "Global" }} {{ .Scratch.Set "cluster" $cluster }} {{ $modules := slice "Coverage" "Form" "Provenance" "Scope" "Status" }} {{ range $modules }} {{ $module := . }} {{ $.Scratch.Set "module" $module }} {{/* Call the partial template to render the module's elements. */}} {{/* Note that we need to use the $cluster and the $module as */}} {{/* keys to the partial's cache so the cache is unique (so we */}} {{/* don't get FSC elements in the ISEAL layout). */}} {{ partialCached "module-elements.html" $context $cluster $module }} {{ end }}

Certification Cluster

{{ $cluster := "Certification" }} {{ .Scratch.Set "cluster" $cluster }} {{ $modules := slice "Assurance" "Certificate" "Certificate Holder, Owner or Certified organization" "Certified Resource or Site" }} {{ range $modules }} {{ $module := . }} {{ $.Scratch.Set "module" $module }} {{ partialCached "module-elements.html" $context $cluster $module }} {{ end }}

Impact Cluster

{{ $cluster := "Impact" }} {{ .Scratch.Set "cluster" $cluster }} {{ $modules := slice "Evaluation" }} {{ range $modules }} {{ $module := . }} {{ $.Scratch.Set "module" $module }} {{ partialCached "module-elements.html" $context $cluster $module }} {{ end }}

Download

The ISEAL Core schema is available for download in two formats:

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File icon with earmarkTurtle

Terse RDF Triple Language (TTL). Use this format when you need to validate metadata against ISEAL Core programmatically.

Download
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File icon with earmarkCSV

Comma-separated Values (CSV). Use this format when you just need a quick and easy offline reference.

Download

Schema Extensions

Credits

The ISEAL Core Metadata Set and FSC extension were compiled by Peter Ballantyne drawing on reviews of information systems and conversations with individuals in several organizations, notably FSC and ISEAL. The metadata were reviewed, improved and published on GitHub by Alan Orth and Marie-Angelique Laporte. Elizabeth Kennedy oversaw the data implementations and Julie Smith provided overall project management.

Feedback

If you have questions/comments please contact Elizabeth Kennedy (elizabeth@isealalliance.org).

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