[eml-dev] Can one EML document describe multiple datasets?

[inigo san gil]

Steve,

EML is flexible enough -- it accepts any implementation of your vision 
of what a dataset is.
Use this flexibility to your advantage -- see how you manage sets 
locally, and try to reflect
it in the EML packages (or documents). 

Would it be nice to standardize what a 'dataset' is? i think it would 
have help, but we would
not reach consensus.

There are all sort of interpretations out there - i'd point out to a 
paper that we submitted a
year ago, but paper is still held captive by the reviewers. At LTER, 
most of the sites (26)
use the element "dataTable" to describe either spreadsheet types of 
data, or views from a
database.  Some use the "spatialVector" or "spatialRaster", to detail 
GIS type of data, but
most defer those documentations to ESRI-based metadata, tights better 
with the GIS data
management systems.

Most LTER EML documents ("datasets") contain more than one table. 
("dataTable" - think
a meteo station describing several measurements, in different 
spreadsheets).  A few sites
describe *a lot* of data within one data set (lump data), and a few 
others split data to
a level close to the most atomic of parts -perhaps an example of a 
quintessential atomized
EML would be certain "EcoTrends" project generated records, where an EML 
"dataset"
may just describe one time series (two variables - time and something 
else.).
 
What I would take home about EML is that is a vehicle to transport 
information in a
common specification - you should define and manage your datasets 
according to your
group understanding ( see your database's collection events as a 
possible working
understanding, or split it a bit from there if those become too massive. )

cheers, inigo

Steve Rentmeester wrote:
> Hello,
>
> My programmer and I are working to export EML documents from a
> relational database that stores data and metadata from many data
> collection events, protocols, sites, and projects. We are attempting
> to gain a better understanding of how a dataset is defined within EML.
>
> Can one EML document describe multiple datasets?
>
> How is a dataset defined?
>
> Currently, I'm assuming datasets are defined based on data collection
> characteristics (agency, project, protocol, temporal range) and not
> defined based on data analysis or synthesis requirements (all data
> used to evaluate question x).
>
> thank you for any advice,
>
> steve
>
> Steve Rentmeester
> Environmental Data Services
> Contractor to Bonneville Power Administration
> Portland, OR 97203
> office: 503-247-8431
> cell: 503-348-5839
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