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EMPACT Information Management Handbook
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2.0 Data and Information Documentationfor EMPACT Projects
All EMPACT projects are required to document their activities. This section provides guidanceon the levels of documentation available to projects and recommends the types of information thatare necessary to adequately describe EMPACT projects and data. Documentation is importantbecause it helps users make informed use of data, provides consistency and project “memory”over time, and allows data to be shared and used in a variety of computing environments.
2.1Levels of Documentation
EMPACT project must develop the following four kinds of documentation:
Project documentation
: documenting the highest level of information about theproject;
 Data set documentation
: clear information about what data is collected and how itmay be accessed and used;
 Data element documentation
: full definitions and specifications for each elementcollected and maintained in a data set; and
 Database system documentation
: schematics and detailed information about how thedata is managed.Figure 2.1 on the next page provides a schematic diagram using typical database terminology torepresent the relationship between data elements, data sets and a database.
 2.1.1Project Documentation
Documentation at the project level should describe what the project is trying to accomplish, theprocess being used, and the resources required to undertake the project. This information willguide others who are developing similar projects and will assist those who wish to use the data tounderstand the methodologies used and interpret the meaning of the data.
 2.1.2Data Set Documentation
Documentation at the data set level includes providing the source of the data, contact informationfor obtaining the data, and methodologies used in the creation of the data.
 
CUSTOMER
NAMEADDRESSPHONE
DataElementDataSet
CUSTOMER
NAME
 
ADDRESSPHONE
 
CUSTOMER
NAMEADDRESS
 
PHONE
 
CUSTOMER
NAME
 
ADDRESSPHONE
 
CUSTOMER
NAMEADDRESS
 
PHONE
ORDER
DATEPO_#PRICING CODE
INVOICE
DATEAMOUNT
CUSTOMER
NAMEADDRESSPHONE
Database
EMPACT Information Management Handbook
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FIGURE 2-1:
 Representation of Data Documentation Terminology
Documentation of the data sets is intended to answer the following questions:What data were collected?Where were the data collected?When were the data collected?What is the data set named?Who were the data collectors?Who is the point of contact?What is the data set about?Data set documentation, often referred to as metadata, is a collection of information about data.Metadata document the source(s), content, quality, lineage, structure, availability, and otherimportant characteristics of a data set in the same way that a map legend describes a map.The map legend contains information about the publisher of the map, the publication date, thetype of map, a description of the map, spatial references, and the map’s scale and accuracy.Metadata provide similar information about data sets. Metadata also describe the intent andpotential uses of the data and assist in making decisions about the appropriate use of data. Theydocument the data holdings of an agency to retain institutional knowledge through changes of personnel.
 
EMPACT Information Management Handbook
2-3Metadata provide the information needed to allow users to make educated secondary use of project level information and to compare data across projects. When examining data fromdifferent sources, it is important to know when and where each data set was collected andwhether similar methodologies were used. These factors have significant impact on any analysisderived from the data.To gain an appreciation for the importance of metadata, consider a hypothetical user who wantsto compare air quality data presented on the Web sites of two EMPACT projects monitoring airquality. This hypothetical user would want to know whether the information presented on a webpage describing air quality in San Francisco can be interpreted the same way as similarinformation on a Web site related to Boston. In order to ascertain that the data have the samemeaning, he would need to understand the methodologies used to collect data at the two locationsto see if they are comparable. He would want to know the units of measure to ensure that he iscomparing apples to apples. He would want to know when the data were collected, so that thisinformation could be factored into his analysis. All of this information should be available in themetadata describing the data sets used.To increase the value of metadata and allow a broad audience to read and interpret thisinformation, standards have been developed for the creation of metadata. One such standard isthe Federal Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata and is described in Appendix C.EMPACT data set documentation follows the general approach taken by the Federal GeographicData Committee.
 2.1.3Data Element Documentation
A data element is a single unit of data that is the most basic level of documentation for a project.It cannot be divided into more fundamental segments of data and still have meaning. TheEnvironmental Data Registry documents data elements. The purpose of documenting dataelements is to encourage the standardization of data among projects. The EDR is consistent withISO 11179, an international standard that provides guidance on the formulation and maintenanceof discrete data element descriptions and metadata that can be used to describe data elements in aconsistent manner. The EDR is currently under development and is expanding rapidly.When fully developed, the EDR is intended to be a comprehensive, authoritative source of reference information about environmental data. It is not the environmental data itself, but theinformation that helps describe the data and make it more meaningful. The EDR serves as theclearinghouse for information about the data. It provides information on the definition, origin,source, and location of environmental data. When used in conjunction with an environmentalinformation database, the EDR enables users to better understand the information they areaccessing. It also serves as a major tool to support a standard-setting process, to record anddisseminate these standards and to facilitate data sharing between organizations and users.
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