Australian Antarctic Program Quality Information Records
If you know the dataset identifier, Dataset_Id (a number) that uniquely identifies a dataset that you are interested in, it is possible to use the search tool below to view the name of the dataset, its metadata record and any quality information pertaining to its collection. Conversely if you know the quality identifier, Q_Info (a number), you can also access the relevant quality information and obtain a link to the Dataset_Id.
The SCAR Feature Catalogue was developed by SCAR's Standing Committee on Antarctic Geographic Information. It was presented to XXVII SCAR, 15-26 July 2002, in Shanghai, China.
Spatial data are increasingly available in digital form, managed using GIS software and are often distributed via the web. To facilitate the interoperation of GIS, it is necessary to develop common terms to describe different types of geographic data. The SCAR Feature Catalogue provides the Antarctic Community with a mechanism to create and manage these common terms. Care has been taken to use ISO TC211 standards in developing the Catalogue.
The SCAR Feature Catalogue provides a description of the nature and the structure of GIS and map data. It follows ISO 19110, Geographic Information - Methodology for feature cataloguing. The SCAR Feature Catalogue is a unified and efficient tool that can be used with any GIS software and at any scale of geographic information.
Content includes data quality information, terminology, database types and attribute options that will apply to any GIS.
Information on data quality is not for making a value judgement on the data or the provider of the data, rather it is to enable the user to assess whether the data is suitable for their purpose.
Most Australian data uses the SCAR Feature Catalogue and has a dataset identifier (Dataset_Id) and quality information identifier (Q_Info).
Quality descriptions encourage the sharing, interchange and use of appropriate geographic datasets. Information on the quality of geographic data allows a data producer or vendor to determine how well a dataset meets their needs and the criteria set forth in its product specification.
Paraphrased from Draft International Standard ISO/DIS 19113 Geographic information - Quality principles.
For Australian datasets, the following Q_info information is collected:
| Name | Type | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Data quality information pointer | number | |
| Source agency | character | The source agency of the vector feature, eg. AUSLIG, USGS |
| Spatial source | character - pick list | Type of source data used for defining the position of the feature, eg. satellite image,aerial photograph, actual feature |
| Spatial reference | character | An identifying reference to the survey, image, photograph or the like, used to define the position of the feature |
| Spatial method | character | The means by which the spatial feature was captured, eg. photogrammetry, digitising, theodolite survey |
| Attribute source | character | The primary source or sources used for defining the attributes of the feature, eg. satellite image, aerial photograph, map |
| Attribute reference | character | An identifying reference to the map, image, photograph or the like, used to define the attributes of the feature; may be more than one reference |
| Spatial reliability date | date | The date of the spatial source, eg. the date of the satellite image used to define the position of the feature |
| Attribute reliability date | date | The date of the attribute source, eg. the date of the satellite image used to define the attributes of the feature; where a feature has a number of attributes the reliability date is that of the most recently validated attribute |
| Planimetric accuracy | number | An estimate in metres of the standard deviation of the error in the horizontal coordinates |
| Elevation accuracy | number | An estimate in metres of the standard deviation of the error in the vertical coordinate; -9999 is used for entries that are not valid |
Can be found in the document "Feature Catalogue".