IOWMETA - A modular metadata information system

The metadata information system IOWMETA provides a publicly accessible catalog and a central platform for distributed research data generated and stored at the Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde (IOW).

Metadata describe heterogeneous datasets and can be standardized. At the technical level, this significantly enhances the interoperability of data and metadata, thereby facilitating international data exchange. High-quality, as complete as possible metadata also ensure the long-term reusability of research data and maximize the scientific value that can be derived from existing datasets.

IOWMETA is based on the ISO 191xx series of metadata standards and uses the open-source platform GeoNetwork to provide structured data access for the scientific community, public authorities, and the general public. The implemented metadata schema comprises more than 40 ISO elements, including the mandatory ISO 19115 core, and is realized in a relational database currently consisting of around 100 tables.

In addition, a software interface is being continuously developed that reflects the underlying database schema in terms of its class structure and provides basic import and export functionalities. Together with the database, this interface forms the technical core of the system and enables modular extensions.

On this basis, specialized modules can be implemented with relative ease. These modules extract metadata from various data sources, transform them into ISO-compliant structures, and subsequently integrate them into IOWMETA.

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