How To: Search specific ISO metadata elements using ArcCatalog

Summary

The ArcCatalog Search dialog box lets you test the content of several predefined metadata elements. For example, you can search for resources by their content type classification; by their data format; and for resources that have specific words in their title, abstract, or purpose. However, searches using these predefined criteria will only succeed in finding objects that have FGDC-style metadata.

Objects with ISO-style metadata can be found using the same criteria if you know which ISO XML element contains the appropriate information. Type the XML element's path into the Metadata element text box on the Search dialog box's Advanced tab. Only text comparisons can be performed against these XML elements, not date or numeric comparisons.

Procedure

• TITLE: To look for metadata with specific words in the ISO Title element, copy the following path into the Metadata element text box: dataIdInfo/idCitation/resTitle
• ABSTRACT: To look for metadata with specific words in the ISO Abstract element, copy the following path into the Metadata element text box: dataIdInfo/idAbs
• EDITION: To look for metadata with specific words in the ISO Edition element, copy the following path into the Metadata element text box: dataIdInfo/idCitation/resEd
• SCALE: In FGDC-style metadata the only place to record scale information is in the Source Information section. The ISO metadata standard defines a specific Scale element to record a dataset's scale. To look for metadata with a specific scale denominator value, copy the following path into the Metadata element text box: dataIdInfo/dataScale/equScale/rfDenom
  
  

  Note:
  You won't be able to search for datasets that have a larger or smaller scale than the one that you specify, only datasets that have the same scale.

  
  
• THEME KEYWORD: To look for metadata with specific ISO Theme Keywords, copy the following path into the Metadata element text box: dataIdInfo/descKeys[keyTyp/KeyTypCd/@value = '005']/keyword
• PLACE KEYWORD: To look for metadata with specific ISO Place Keywords, copy the following path into the Metadata element text box: dataIdInfo/descKeys[keyTyp/KeyTypCd/@value = '002']/keyword
• STRATUM KEYWORD: To look for metadata with specific ISO Stratum Keywords, copy the following path into the Metadata element text box: dataIdInfo/descKeys[keyTyp/KeyTypCd/@value = '003']/keyword
• TEMPORAL KEYWORD: To look for metadata with specific ISO Temporal Keywords, copy the following path into the Metadata element text box: dataIdInfo/descKeys[keyTyp/KeyTypCd/@value = '004']/keyword
• CONTENT TYPE: To look for metadata that falls into a specific content type as defined by the ArcIMS Metadata Service, copy the following path into the Metadata element text box: distInfo/distributor/distorTran/onLineSrc/orDesc[. = '001']
  
  Replace "001" in the path with the appropriate content type code as follows (e.g., use "009" to search for Map Files such as ArcReader documents):
  
  001 - Live Data and Maps
  002 - Downloadable Data
  003 - Offline Data
  004 - Static Map Images
  005 - Other Documents
  006 - Applications
  007 - Geographic Services
  008 - Clearinghouses
  009 - Map Files
  010 - Geographic Activities
• DATA THEME or TOPIC CATEGORY: The ArcIMS Metadata Service categorizes documents according to the general subject of the resources they define; a document's subject category is referred to as its data theme. These themes are derived from the list of ISO Topic Categories.
  
  To look for metadata with a specific ISO Topic Category, copy the following path into the Metadata element text box: dataIdInfo/tpCat/TopicCatCd[@value = '001']
  
  Replace "001" in the path with the appropriate topic category code as follows (e.g., use "006" to search for elevation products such as DEMs):
  
  001 - Agriculture and farming
  002 - Biologic and ecologic
  003 - Administrative and political boundaries
  004 - Atmosphere, climatology, and meteorology
  005 - Business and economic
  006 - Elevation and derived products
  007 - Environment and conservation
  008 - Geological and geophysical
  009 - Human health and disease
  010 - Imagery, basemaps, and land cover
  011 - Military and intelligence
  012 - Inland water resources
  013 - Locations and geodetic networks
  014 - Oceans and estuaries
  015 - Cadastral and land planning
  016 - Cultural, society, and demographic
  017 - Facilities and structures
  018 - Transportation networks
  019 - Utility and communication networks
• ORIGINATOR: To look for ISO metadata documents with specific words describing the originators (authors) of the data, copy the following path into the Metadata element text box: dataIdInfo/idCitation/citRespParty[role/RoleCd/@value = '006']/*
  
  This path will look for the words you specified in all elements contained within each Responsible Party section where the party is defined as an originator. If you want to search for the name of an individual, you would replace the asterisk (*) with "rpIndName". To search for an organization's name, you would replace the asterisk with "rpOrgName".
• LINEAGE: To look for metadata with specific words in the ISO Lineage Statement element, copy the following path into the Metadata element text box: dqInfo/dataLineage/statement

Related Information

• When I search with ArcCatalog, why don't I find objects with ISO metadata?