NPS Data Store: General Information

The NPS Data Store is a repository of and search engine for metadata describing National Park Service data.

To view help documentation, select the Data Store Instructions link from the left navigation menu. The Instructions page includes instructions for creating metadata, parsing and editing of metadata and instructions for preparing and uploading data.

Metadata and Data Store Record Types

Online Data Availability

National Park Service Unit Information

Categories and Subjects

Sources of Records in NPS Data Store

Requesting Access to Metadata/Data Uploading and Metadata Editing

Metadata and Data Store Record Types:

The NPS Data Store application manages three types of records each based on a metadata profile: Dataset Catalog (minimal metadata) records, Formal Metadata records and GIS Data Standards records. XML-format versions of the records are used both for data loading and as downloadable metadata interchange files. All three types of records can be uploaded to the NPS Data Store application.
What is a Dataset Catalog Record?:	A Dataset Catalog record is a minimal metadata record produced by the Dataset Catalog desktop application maintained by the NPS Inventory and Monitoring Program. A Dataset Catalog record may or may not have downloadable data associated with it. Dataset Catalog records contain metadata elements from most, but not all, sections of the FGDC Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata (CSDGM), plus elements specific to the National Park Service. Dataset Catalog metadata elements not found in the FDGC CSDGM definition are captured in the DataCat_Information tag of the NPS_Information section of the NPS Profile extension of the FDGC Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata. A metadata profile for Dataset Catalog is under development.
What is a Formal Metadata Record?:	A Formal Metadata record is a record containing metadata elements conforming to one of the following metadata profiles: the FDGC Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata (CSDGM), the ESRI Profile of FDGC CSDGM, the FDGC/NBII Biological Profile of the FDGC CSGDM, or the NPS Profile of the CSDGM. A Formal Metadata record may or may not have downloadable data associated with it. For the intial release, the NPS Data Store application accepts formal metadata records from all profiles except the NBII Biological Profile.
What is a GIS Standard Record?:	The NPS GIS Committee (GISC) requires full metadata documentation for standard GIS layers that are in progress or adopted. The GIS standard record documents include tracking information for the official standards process.

Online Data Availability:

How is online data availability determined?:

Any record that includes "OnlineData" in a Metadata_Purpose tag in the NPS Profile extension of the FDGC Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata (CSGDM) NPS_Information section will be returned by an 'Online Data' search. A record with downloadable data should have a Data Steward (visible only to logged-in, authenticated users of the secure application), at least one Category, and a Data Site identified in the Data_Store_Information tag. These downloadable data can be housed anywhere (i.e., in the NR Data Store Server, the Alaska GIS Clearinghouse, etc.) as long as this site is identified in the DataSite child tag of the Data_Store_Information parent tag. Dataset Catalog records and Formal Metadata records may also have downloadable data and, if they include the "OnlineData" Metadata_Purpose tag from the NPS Profile, will be discovered by an Online Data search. Links to their downloadable data will be in the main dataset citation or the Distribution_Information section.

National Park Service Unit Information:

The NPS Data Store application uses an up-to-date, but unofficial, database of NPS units maintained by the NPS Inventory and Monitoring and NR GIS Programs called the NPS NRPC Unit Information Database (NRUID). This unofficial list is a superset of legislated unit, organizational unit, and pending unit information managed by other NPS offices and programs. This list includes over 630 unit records. Each unit is identified by a unique 4- to 8-character alphabetic code. The NPS NRPC Unit Information Database is in MSAccess (with a mirror in Oracle) and contains 7 tables and views/queries for generating unit pick lists. The database is structured to optimize access to NPS unit data for Natural Resource applications but is not the official NPS source of this information. Changes and updates to the database and data records must follow a rigorous policy of data QA/QC with other programs as well as communication and coordination with applications utilizing the data. This database references official NPS sources for unit information including ParkNet (www.nps.gov), the NPS Office of Public Affairs, the NPS Organizational Code Database maintained by NISC and the NPS Lands Division.
Download the Current NPS NRPC Unit Information Database with Documentation:	NPSNRPCUnitInfoDB.zip (MSAccess 2002 format - last updated: 12/28/2005)
Readme Document for the Current NPS NRPC Unit Information Database:	NRPCUnitInfoDB_Readme.pdf

Categories and Subjects:

Categories or subjects can be used to refine searches for records in the NPS Data Store. Every "OnlineData" record (i.e., those records with downloadable data) and Formal Metadata record should contain at least one Category. Only a Dataset Catalog record may contain a Subject.
What is a Category?	The NPS Data Store application category list is derived from the original category list in the GIS-FTP data application and category information contained in records on the original NCSU GIS Clearinghouse. Categories equate to data layer types and are used in Data Store-format records and NPS Profile-format Formal Metadata records. Users may add a Category to Dataset Catalog records in the online NPS Metadata database.
What is a Subject?	The NPS Data Store application subject list is derived from the Dataset Catalog subject field which matches the Investigator Annual Report subject list in the NPS Research Permits and Reporting System. Subjects are used solely in Dataset Catalog-format records.
Why can't I search on Category and Subject?	Only certain Dataset Catalog records in the NPS Data Store may have both a Category and a Subject. Therefore, if a user selects both fields in a search operation, the server automatically will change the resulting query to search the Category field OR the Subject field, not the Category AND the Subject fields. This reduces the occurrence of "false negative" searches from which no records are returned even if records exist for either the selected category or the selected subject.

Sources for Records in NPS Data Store:

Record sources include the following NPS programs and offices:
	Park and Regional records from the original GIS Clearinghouse at NCSU
	Natural Resource Base Cartography Inventory records from the Natural Resource GIS-FTP server
	Geologic Resource Evaluation (Inventory) records from the Natural Resource GIS-FTP server
	Small-scale GIS Data records from the Water Resources Division (originally on the Natural Resource GIS-FTP server)
	Inventory and Monitoring Dataset Catalog records (some from the Natural Resource GIS-FTP server)
	NPS GIS Data Layer Standards, both adopted and in process

Requesting Access to Metadata/Data Uploading and Metadata Editing:

The NPS Data Store metadata uploading and editing and NPS Data Server data uploading are restricted to authorized users. National Park Service staff and appropriate cooperators, partners, and contractors may request upload and edit access to the NPS Data Store and/or upload access to the NPS Data Server. If a user plans to edit metadata and upload data, they need accounts on both NPS Metadata and the NPS Data Server. User accounts for both applications are managed by the NPS Natural Resource Universal Web Login Utility (UWL).

Requesting a New Account:	New accounts are requested via the UWL Application Account Request Utility at https://science1.nature.nps.gov/login. New users must complete both the New Account Request form and at least one detailed web application permissions form (from the Request Application Access link).
Existing Users - Requesting Access:	Users of other Natural Resource web applications may request access to the NPS Metadata application and/or the NPS Data Server using the 'Existing User' link in the UWL Application Account Request Utility at https://science1.nature.nps.gov/login. The detailed web application permissions form for either or both NPS Metadata and/or the NPS Data Server must be submitted.
NPS Data Store Upload and Edit Permissions:	For the NPS Data Store, most users will have the LocalUser role which grants access to records for a park or parks, and/or a monitoring network. Regional coordinators should select the NPSUser role. Both these roles require selection of a permission right (Reader, Author, AuthorReader, or Editor) and at least one unit (park, office, network, region). The combination of role, right, and unit(s) determines the metadata records a user can edit and whether the user can upload metadata records and their associated data for the unit(s).
NPS Data Server Upload Permissions:	For the NPS Data Server, users receive a default role but must specify at least one unit (park, office, network, region) or program (e.g., NISC, BioInv) for which they will upload data. Authorized users may upload files into unit-specific folders on the NPS Data Server.