BC Data Catalogue User Guide

Note: This information is intended for use by authorized BC Data Catalogue content editors.

How to:

• How to create a new metadata record
• How to edit a metadata record
• How to manage metadata record resources
• How to publish a metadata record

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How to create a new metadata record

• Log into the BC Data Catalogue.
• Navigate to Datasets page and select Add Dataset.
• Choose a dataset type from one of the four types available that best fits your data.

Dataset Type	Description
Dataset	These are tables in Comma Separated Value (CSV) files, or MS Excel Spreadsheets (XLS) or possibly even tabular PDF files.
Geographic Dataset	This is data that contains geospatial information along with other data.  Additional geospatial metadata elements are available to be populated, e.g., spatial reference system.
Application Dataset	Metadata records in this category describe applications that are available for use.  Applications provide access to data.
Web Service - API	Metadata records in this category describe available web services, or application programming interfaces.

• Edit the metadata information.  See How to edit a metadata record.

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How to edit a metadata record

• Log into the BC Data Catalogue.
• Locate the metadata record to be edited and click the "wrench" tool icon (top right corner) to start editing the record.  The "Edit Metadata" tab captures all of the general metadata information about the dataset. Mandatory fields are marked with an *.
  • The Title and description should be written in a way the general public can understand, so no abbreviations in the title and clear descriptions.
  • Keywords are important words related to your dataset. You can use common words, like 'fish hatcheries'. These terms can help link multiple records that have matching keywords when searched for in the catalogue.
  • Contacts section: a contact is someone who is familiar with the dataset and can answer questions people might have about the data. Additional contacts can be added and can be hidden from public view.
  • Data Currency/Update Section: this section describes the state of the data. Choose the most relevant Resource Status and Date Type that best matches the currency of the data. Multiple dates can be added to track the progress of the data.
  • Access and Security Section: this section describes who has privileges to view the actual data, who can download the data, and who has permission to view the catalogue record.  The Security Classification describes how secure the data is. For data that is downloadable by the public, Low Public should be selected.  The License is very important as it determines how the data can be used. Access only is the standard and is restrictive. Whenever possible we recommend data be published under the Open Government Licence (OGL) which is much more permissive.

Note: publishing data under the Open Government Licence - British Columbia requires a completed and approved Open Data Assessment.

• After making edits in the Edit Metadata tab, click Update Dataset to save your changes.
• To add or manage data resources, see How to manage metadata record data resources.

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How to manage metadata record resources

• Log into the BC Data Catalogue.
• Locate the metadata record to be edited and click the "wrench" tool icon (top right corner) to start editing the record.
• Select the "Resources" tab.

Adding a new resource

• Click the "Add New Resource" button.
• Upload or provide a link to your data and provide information about the data resource.
  • Upload: To upload a file, e.g., CSV, directly into the Catalogue, click the Upload button and select the file to upload from your local computer.
  • Link: To link to a file stored elsewhere, e.g., a website or FTP site, click Link and enter the URL of the file.

Note: Only files less than 150MB in size can be uploaded to the Catalogue.

Note: If the file is less than 150MB limit we recommend uploading the file to the Catalogue vs. storing the data elsewhere. 

• Complete the resource metadata.  Mandatory fields are marked with an *.
• Additional resources can be added by clicking Add and repeating the process above.

Editing the properties of an existing resource

• Click the Manage button to edit the resource.
• Make edits.
• Click Update Resource to save your changes.

Replacing an existing resource

• Click the Manage button to edit the resource.
• Click on the Remove button at the end of the File URL.
• Re-upload or provide a new link to your data.
• Click Update Resource to save your changes.

Deleting an existing resource

• Click the Manage button to edit the resource. 
• Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Delete to remove the resource.

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How to publish a metadata record 

Metadata records have a life cycle from Draft to Pending Publish to Published to Pending Archive to Archived.

• Log into the Catalogue.
• Locate the metadata record to be edited and click the "wrench" tool icon (top right corner) to start editing the record.
• Change the dataset record state to Pending Publish.
• Click Update Dataset.

The Catalogue team will validate the record and if all is in order will change the state to Published and you will be notified of this by email; or a Catalogue team member may contact you with questions about your record.