Spatial Representation Type ★★★★

In order to quickly find, categorise and evaluate the fitness of a resource to our needs it is useful to include in our metadata a high-level description of the type or format of spatial data the resource contains.

Definition

The method used by the resource to spatially represent geographic information.

ISO Obligation

• There can be zero to many [0..*] spatialRepresentationType entries for the cited resource in the MD_DataIdentification package selected from codelist MD_SpatialRepresentationTypeCode.

Discussion

A resource may consist of many spatial representation types. It may also contain no spatial representation types. Most commonly, a geospatial resource will consist of a single representation type. The resource may be data or service, MD_DataIdentification or SV_ServiceIdentification.

Best Practice Recommendations

Therefore - If a resource contains spatial representations, to provide guidance to users, the type of spatial representation(s) should be captured using this element. Further Spatial representation details could be captured in the optional spatialRepresentationInfo package. At least one instance of this element should be populated in all metadata records describing spatial resources.

Values for this element must come from the MD_SpatialRepresentationTypeCode codelist.

Possible Values for spatialRepresentationType

From codelist - MD_SpatialRepresentationTypeCode

• vector - vector data is used to represent geographic data
• grid - grid data is used to represent geographic data
• textTable - textual or tabular data is used to represent geographic data
• tin - triangulated irregular network
• stereoModel - three-dimensional view formed by the intersecting homologous rays of an overlapping pair of images
• video - scene from a video recording

Also Consider

• MD_Metadata.spatialRepresentationInfo - Abstract class that decribes the digital mechanism used to represent spatial information. Not detailed by MDWG

Crosswalk considerations

Examples

<mdb:MD_Metadata>
....
 <mdb:identificationInfo>
  <mri:MD_DataIdentification>
  ....
   <mri:spatialRepresentationType>
    <mcc:MD_SpatialRepresentationTypeCode 
    codeList="https://schemas.isotc211.org/19115/resources/Codelist/cat
    /codelists.xml#MD_SpatialRepresentationTypeCode"
    codeListValue="vector"/>
   </mri:spatialRepresentationType>
  ....
  </mri:MD_DataIdentification>
 </mdb:identificationInfo>
....
</mdb:MD_Metadata>

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