FGDC provided world-wide leadership in the development of the Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata, CSDGM, which became a base for many other national standards including ISO 19115.  FGDC participates with external standards organizations in the development and implementation of geospatial standards. For a full description of the external standards organizations and their relationships visit the FGDC Standards: External Standards Organization page .

In 2004, the American National Standards Institute, ANSI, adopted ISO 19115 as a national standard.  ISO 19115- Metadata Standard became the “building code” for constructing the U.S national metadata standard. In 2005, FGDC agreed to the national editor role in the development of the U.S. National Profile of ISO 19115.  The Profile is akin to the blueprint to build metadata. Working meetings and workshops to scope the project, content, and content requirements have been held at various locations with representation from the metadata and metadata trainer community.  Once the draft Profile is complete, it will undergo public review, with notifications through various outlets.   The process includes a subsequent review of adjudication of comments resulting from the public review.  The final draft is presented to ANSI for approval.  If approved the U.S. National Profile will become the U.S. metadata standard. 

FGDC recommends implementers of FGDC metadata to stay the course with CSDGM Version 2.  A workbook FGDC CSDGM Version 3, is planned and will be based on the adopted U.S. National Profile.  CSDGM Version 3 will be the metadata builder’s guide.  Diagrams are planned for inclusion to the workbook and the workbook will provide complete content for the Profile.  No ISO standards will be required to implement the Profile while using the workbook.  The workbook is planned to be a collaborative effort among the metadata implementation and training community.  Training materials from the community are welcomed and will be posted or linked to the FGDC Metadata website, as will CSDGM Version 3.  The workbook will be free of charge and copyright.

Why another standard?

ISO 19115 provides functionalities not found in CSDGM, such as:

1. multi-lingual data sharing through
1. use of numerically coded pick lists and
2. identifying the language and character set used in the metadata and the dataset,  
2. topic categories for high level metadata classification, 
3. unique identifier for the metadata, 
4. extending the identification of roles and responsibilities in a dataset, and
5. describing geospatial service metadata
   

Visit the archive to learn more about the history of the FGDC/ISO Metadata harmonization effort.