Metadata will play a key role in GBIF's foreseen expansion. Therefore, there is an urgent requirement to devise a comprehensive strategy for moving toward implementation of a metadata strategy.

Metadata that describe datasets are essential to allow potential end-users to decide on the fitness for purpose of datasets and evaluate the quality of those data. Users who wish to re-purpose datasets gathered for another purpose need to understand methodologies and sampling techniques, find related series of datasets, etc.

Datasets without metadata rapidly lose value. Metadata also become even more essential in larger networks such as the GEO Biodiversity Observation Network (in which GBIF seeks to play a leading role) when the diversity of data types and data access protocols increases.

The GBIF Secretariat, with the assistance of a specially convened Metadata Work Group, has prepared a document entitled "Metadata Requirements for Datasets delivered via the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) Network".

GBIF welcomes comments and feedback on this strategy, which would place a distributed metadata catalogue system at the heart of the GBIF enterprise, thus allowing it to play a core role in mobilising biodiversity data for even larger networks such as GEOSS.