Metadata GILS Core Elements

Definitions of GILS Core Elements and their usual structure are here made part of the GILS Application Profile. Guidelines on customary usage, such as the wording of specific elements and which elements are regarded as mandatory in specific contexts, may be found in separate documents. For example, the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration publishes for U.S. Federal agencies the document "Guidelines for the Preparation of GILS Core Entries", available in HTML format at <URL:http://www.dtic.mil/gils/documents/naradoc/>.

Implementors are reminded that in addition to the well-known GILS Core Elements, GILS locator records may contain any number of locally-defined elements. Some such elements may be well-known in the context of other Z39.50 profiles (e.g., WAIS, GEO) also supported by a particular GILS-compliant server.

Title (Not Repeatable) This element conveys the most significant aspects of the referenced resource and is intended for initial presentation to users independently of other elements. It should provide sufficient information to allow users to make an initial decision on likely relevance. It should convey the most significant information available, including the general topic area, as well as a specific reference to the subject.

Originator (Repeatable) This element identifies the information resource originator.

Contributor (Repeatable) This element is used if there are names associated with the resource in addition to the Orginator, such as personal author, corporate author, co-author, or a conference or meeting name.

Date Of Publication (Not Repeatable) The discrete creation date in which the described resource was published or updated, though not for use on resources that are published continuously such as dynamic databases. Date of Publication Textual may also provide additional information such as when the resource was originally published. This element may be expressed in one of two forms:

• Date Of Publication Structured Date described using the ISO 8601 prescribed structure (fixed 8 characters, YYYYMMDD).
• Date Of Publication Textual Date described textually.

Place of Publication (Not Repeatable) The city or town where the described resource was published. May also include country if location of city is not well known.

Language of Resource (Repeatable) This element indicates the language(s) of the described resource as represented by the MARC three character alpha code. If a resource is multilingual, repeat this element for each applicable language."

Abstract (Not Repeatable) This element presents a narrative description of the information resource. This narrative should provide enough general information to allow the user to determine if the information resource has sufficient potential to warrant contacting the provider for further information.

Controlled Subject Index (Repeatable) This element is a grouping of subelements that together provide any controlled vocabulary used to describe the resource and the source of that controlled vocabulary:

• Subject Thesaurus (Not Repeatable) This subelement provides the reference to a formally registered thesaurus or similar authoritative source of the controlled index terms. Notes on how to obtain electronic access to (e.g., a URI) or copies of the referenced source should be provided, possibly through a Cross Reference to another locator record that more fully describes the referenced resource and its potential application to locating GILS information.
• Subject Terms Controlled (Not Repeatable) This subelement is a grouping of descriptive terms drawn from a controlled vocabulary source to aid users in locating entries of potential interest. Each term is provided in the subordinate repeating field:
  • Controlled Term

Subject Terms Uncontrolled (Not Repeatable) This element is a grouping of descriptive terms to aid users in locating resources of potential interest, but the terms are not drawn from a formally registered controlled vocabulary source. Each term is provided in the repeating subelement:

• Uncontrolled Term

Spatial Domain (Not Repeatable) This element is a grouping of subelements that together provide the geographic areal domain of the data set or information resource. Geographic names and coordinates can be used to define the bounds of coverage. Although described here informally, the spatial object constructs should be as defined in FIPS 173, "Spatial Data Transfer Standard."

• Bounding Coordinates (Not Repeatable) This subelement limits the coverage of a data set expressed by latitude and longitude values in the order western-most, eastern-most, northern-most, and southern-most. For data sets that include a complete band of latitude around the earth, the West Bounding Coordinate shall be assigned the value: -180.0, and the East Bounding Coordinate shall be assigned the value: 180.0. The following subelements comprise the Bounding Coordinates:
  • West Bounding Coordinate Western-most coordinate of the limit of the coverage expressed in longitude.
    Domain: -180.0 <= West Bounding Coordinate <= 180.0
  • East Bounding Coordinate Eastern-most coordinate of the limit of coverage expresses in longitude.
    Domain: -180.0 <= East Bounding Coordinate <= 180.0
  • North Bounding Coordinate Northern-most coordinate of the limit of coverage expressed in latitude.
    Domain: -90.0 <= North Bounding Coordinate <= 90.0;
    North Bounding Coordinate >= South Bounding Coordinate
  • South Bounding Coordinate Southern-most coordinate of the limit of coverage expressed in latitude.
    Domain: -90.0 <= South Bounding Coordinate <= 90.0;
    South Bounding Coordinate <= North Bounding Coordinate
• Place (Repeatable) This subelement identifies geographic locations characterized by the data set or information resource through two associate constructs:
  • Place Keyword Thesaurus (Not Repeatable) The name of a formally registered thesaurus or similar authoritative source of Place Keywords. Each keyword is provided in the subordinate repeating field:
  • Place Keyword (Repeatable) The geographic name of a location covered by a data set or information resource.

Time Period (Repeatable) This element provides time frames associated with the information resource. One or both of the following forms may be used:

• Time Period Textual (Not Repeatable) Time described textually.
• Time Period Structured (Repeatable) This form is a grouping of date subelements which are used together to indicate a range.
  • Beginning Date (Not Repeatable)
  • Ending Date (Not Repeatable)

Availability (Repeatable) This element is a grouping of subelements that together describe how the information resource is made available.

• Medium (Not Repeatable) A description of the material type of the resource, e.g. cassette, kit, computer database, computer file. It implies the use of a well-known list of medium types.
• Distributor (Not Repeatable) This subelement consists of the following subordinate fields that provide information about the distributor:
  • Distributor Name
  • Distributor Organization
  • Distributor Street Address
  • Distributor City
  • Distributor State or Province
  • Distributor Zip or Postal Code
  • Distributor Country
  • Distributor Network Address
  • Distributor Hours of Service
  • Distributor Telephone
  • Distributor Fax
• Resource Description (Repeatable) This subelement identifies the resource as it is known to the distributor.
• Order Process (Not Repeatable) This subelement is a grouping of the following subordinate fields that provide information on how to obtain the information resource from this distributor.
  • Order Information (Not Repeatable) This subelement provides information on how to obtain the information resource from this distributor.
  • Cost (Not Repeatable) This subelement indicates whether or not there is a cost associated with this resource.
  • Cost Information (Not Repeatable) This subelement contains textual information about the cost associated with this resource.
• Technical Prerequisites (Not Repeatable) This subelement describes any technical prerequisites for use of the information resource as made available by this distributor.
• Available Time Period (Repeatable) This subelement provides the time period reference for the information resource as made available by this distributor. One or both of the following forms may be used:
  • Available Time Textual (Not Repeatable) Time described textually.
  • Available Time Structured (Repeatable) This form is a grouping of date subelements which are used together to indicate a range.
    • Beginning Date (Not Repeatable)
    • Ending Date (Not Repeatable)
• Available Linkage (Repeatable) This subelement provides the information needed to contact an automated system made available by this distributor. Available linkages are appropriate to reference other locators, facilitate electronic delivery of off-the-shelf information products, or guide the user to data systems that support analysis and synthesis of information. This subelement consists of the subordinate elements Linkage Type and Linkage. It must be repeated for every new instance of Linkage Type.
  • Linkage Type (Not Repeatable) This subelement occurs if there is a Linkage. It provides the data content type (i.e., MIME) of the object identified in the referenced URI to give the user an indication of what is being connected to (e.g., document, image).
  • Linkage (Repeatable) This subelement provides the machine readable information needed to perform the access (i.e., URI).

Sources of Data (Not Repeatable) This element identifies the primary sources or providers of data to the system, whether within or outside the agency.

Methodology (Not Repeatable) This element identifies any specialized tools, techniques, or methodology used to produce this information resource. The validity, degree of reliability, and any known possibility of errors should also be described.

Access Constraints (Not Repeatable) This element is a grouping of subelements that together describe any constraints or legal prerequisites for accessing the information resource or its component products or services.

• General Access Constraints (Not Repeatable) This subelement includes any access constraints or legal prerequisites applied to assure the protection of privacy, and any other special restrictions or limitations on obtaining the information resource.
• Originator Dissemination Control (Not Repeatable) This subelement contains specifics determined by the originator of the information resource pertaining to the control of access to or dissemination of this resource.
• Security Classification Control (Not Repeatable) This subelement contains specifics pertaining to the security classification associated with the information resource.

Use Constraints (Not Repeatable) This element describes any constraints or legal prerequisites for using the information resource or its component products or services. This includes any use constraints applied to assure the protection of privacy or intellectual property and any other special restrictions or limitations on using the information resource.

Point of Contact (Not Repeatable) This element identifies an organization, and a person where appropriate, serving as the point of contact plus methods that may be used to make contact. This element consists of the following subelements:

• Contact Name
• Contact Organization
• Contact Street Address
• Contact City
• Contact State or Province
• Contact Zip or Postal Code
• Contact Country
• Contact Network Address
• Contact Hours of Service
• Contact Telephone
• Contact Fax

Supplemental Information (Not Repeatable) Through this element, the record source may associate other descriptive information with the GILS Core locator record.

Purpose (Not Repeatable) This element describes why the information resource is offered and identifies other programs, projects, and legislative actions wholly or partially responsible for the establishment or continued delivery of this information resource. It may include the origin and lineage of the information resource, and related information resources.

Agency Program (Not Repeatable) This element identifies the major agency program or mission supported by the system and should include a citation for any specific legislative authorities associated with this information resource.

Cross Reference (Repeatable) This element is a grouping of subelements that together identify another locator record or related information resources likely to be of interest.

• Cross Reference Title (Not Repeatable) This subelement provides a human readable textual description of the cross reference.
• Cross Reference Relationship (Repeatable) This subelement may be drawn from a controlled list of terms describing the relationship of the cross referenced object to this locator record. Values useful in the USMARC context include: original language, translation, supplement/special issue, parent, host item, component item, other edition, additional physical form, issued with, preceding entry, succeeding entry, and data source entry.
• Cross Reference Linkage (Repeatable) This subelement is a grouping of subelements that together provide information needed to access the referenced object. It is composed of the subordinate elements Linkage Type and Linkage. Cross Reference Linkage is repeated for each new instance of Linkage Type.
  • Linkage Type (Not Repeatable) This subelement occurs if there is a Linkage. It provides the data content type (i.e., MIME) of the object identified in the referenced URI to give the user an indication of what is being connected to (e.g., document, image).
  • Linkage (Repeatable) This subelement provides the machine readable information needed to perform the access (i.e., URI).

Schedule Number (Not Repeatable) This element is used to record the identifier associated with the information resource for records management purposes.

Control Identifier (Not Repeatable) This element is defined by the information provider and is used to distinguish this locator record from all other GILS Core locator records.

Original Control Identifier (Not Repeatable) This element is used by the record source to refer to another GILS locator record from which this locator record was derived.

Record source (Not Repeatable) This element identifies the organization that created or last modified this locator record.

Language of Record (Not Repeatable) This element indicates the language of the locator record as represented by the MARC three character alpha code.

Date of Last Modification (Not Repeatable) This element identifies the latest date on which this locator record was created or modified.

Record Review Date (Not Repeatable) This element identifies a date assigned by the Record Source for review of this GILS Record.