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

[Christopher Jones]

Steve,

>
> The next question is: Can a single eml document include multiple  
> datasets?
> Can the top-level eml-module include multiple datasets and then each
> dataset be referenced later in the document when describing individual
> protocols, method steps, and dataTables?
>

Well, a single EML document can contain a choice of *one* of the  
following:

dataset
protocol
citation
software

If you choose to document a dataset, it can contain multiple data  
entities, such as:

dataTable
spatialRaster
spatialVector
etc.

Collections of EML documents tend to be managed in outside databases,  
such as the Metacat system, eXist, etc.

You'll notice that there are entry points within an EML document where  
protocols and citations can be included, either inline or by reference  
to a URL.

I find that it's helpful to refer to the schema images provided in the  
EML documentation to get a sense of the repeatability, optionality,  
etc. of elements.
Here's the list of module documentation pages:

http://knb.ecoinformatics.org/software/eml/eml-2.1.0/index.html#eml

and here's the image for the top level EML construct:

http://knb.ecoinformatics.org/software/eml/eml-2.1.0/eml.png

This shows that an <access> element is optional, one of the four top  
resources is required (like <dataset>) but not repeatable, and that  
the <additionalMetadata> element is also optional.

I hope these images help.

Cheers,
Chris
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Christopher Jones         cjones at msi.ucsb.edu        (970) 728-1136
Marine Science Institute, UC Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~