GEO Label Nomination Letter to IIB

2014-APR-28

Dear IIB Members:

For many years, and via many efforts, both within GEO and outside of GEO, the idea of data documentation has been raised in various forms. Although much effort has been exerted in this regard, there has been no clear accepted solution for implementation in the GCI. Over the past couple of years, a European Commission FP-7 project called GeoViQua, now completed, has shown that the experience of data users can be enhanced by using what has been called the GEO Label.

Technically, the GEO Label is a graphical representation of the metadata completeness and a way to access different aspects of the description of a dataset (drill-down capability) elaborated both by the producer and for the dataset users. The purpose of the GEO Label is to act as a decision support mechanism in geospatial data selection. The Standards and Interoperability Forum (SIF) has participated and has monitored the user-centered design approach, followed by GeoViQua (www.geoviqua.org), to develop a data documentation label that makes it more likely to garner user acceptance when deployed. To this end, the Aston University (as a contribution to GeoViQua) has thus far conducted 3 user studies to: (1) identify the informational aspects of geospatial datasets upon which users rely when assessing dataset quality and trustworthiness, (2) elicit initial user views on the concept of a GEO Label and its potential role as a solution to the stated problem, and (3) evaluate prototype label visualizations. For more information visit: www.geolabel.info.

The GEO label can be created automatically by a web service. It uses a RESTful API that allows sending a producer metadata URL and a user feedback items collection URL, and retrieving an SVG image of a PNG format. For more information visit: www.geolabel.net. The service is currently hosted in a server cluster in CREAF (Barcelona). The SIF has also collected information about the GEO Label that is available here: SifGeoLabel

The SIF considers the methodology to design the GEO label was accurate and in line with the former Science and Technology Committee initial aims. The SIF has reviewed the architecture of the GEO label service, and founds it conformance with the GEOSS general architecture principles and design. The GEO label service is able to retrieve metadata directly from the Discovery and Access Broker and the GEO label can be easy integrated into the GEOSS Portal (with java portlet modifications already done by 52North). These capabilities were live demonstrated in the last GEO-X Ministerial Week with replicas of the GEOSS Common Infrastructure components.

The SIF considers that the GEO label is an important contribution to the data discovery phase and recommends its adoption into the GEOSS Common Infrastructure. To this purpose, the SIF and 52North are willing to technically assist in the integration process.

The SIF

-- JoanMaso - 14 Feb 2014