The ISO metadata standards include many elements that are identical for many of the metadata records produced by a particular group. These boilerplate elements can be defined in templates that can be used to start metadata records being created by members of those groups. Useful boilerplate might include these elements:

File Identifier:

<gmd:fileIdentifier>
  <gco:CharacterString>namespace:identifier</gco:CharacterString>
</gmd:fileIdentifier>
 

Note: ISO 19115 identified metadata records using a single character string that often times had to be overloaded to include the information required for unambiguous identification. ISO 19115-1 replaces the CharacterString element with an MD_Identifier object, which includes code and codeSpace fields.  The combination of code and codeSpace fields ensue unambiguous file identification.

Metadata and Resource Language:

<gmd:language>
  <gmd:LanguageCode codeList="http://www.loc.gov/standards/iso639-2/php/code_list.php" codeListValue="eng">eng</gmd:LanguageCode>
</gmd:language>
 

Note:

ISO 19115-1 replaces the LanguageCode element with the defaultLocale/PT_Locale object, which contains includes fields for documenting the  languageLanguage, countryCountry, and character set CharacterSet codes.  Additional languages can be documented with the otherLocale/PT_Locale object.

Character Set:

<gmd:characterSet>
  <gmd:MD_CharacterSetCode
    codeList="http://www.isotc211.org/2005/resources/Codelist/gmxCodelists.xml#MD_CharacterSetCode"
    codeListValue="utf8">utf8</gmd:MD_CharacterSetCode>
</gmd:characterSet>
 

Note: ISO 19115-1 groups the CharacterSetCode with the LanguageCode, and CountryCode  in the PT_Locale object.

Hierarchy Level:

<gmd:hierarchyLevel>
  <gmd:MD_ScopeCode codeList="http://www.isotc211.org/2005/resources/Codelist/gmxCodelists.xml#MD_ScopeCode"
    codeListValue="dataset">dataset</gmd:MD_ScopeCode>
</gmd:hierarchyLevel>

 

Note:  ISO 19115 included any number of hierarchyLevels and hierarchyLevelNames. In cases with multiple occurrences of each, it was impossible to associate a given hierarchyLevel with the correct hierarchyLevelName. ISO 19115-1 addresses this ambiguity with the MD_MetadataScope object that unambiguously associates a MD_ScopeCode and the correct name.

Metadata Date:

<gmd:dateStamp>
  <gco:Date>YYYY-MM-DD</gco:Date>
</gmd:dateStamp>

Metadata Standard Name and Version:

<gmd:metadataStandardName>
  <gco:CharacterString>ISO 19115-2 Geographic Information - Metadata Part 2 Extensions for imagery and
    gridded data</gco:CharacterString>
</gmd:metadataStandardName>
<gmd:metadataStandardVersion>
  <gco:CharacterString>ISO 19115-2:2009(E)</gco:CharacterString>
</gmd:metadataStandardVersion>

Reference System Information:

Many global environmental datasets use a simple latitude/longitude reference system referred to as WGS 84 or EPSG:4326. This gmd:referenceSystemInfo describes that reference system as a RS_Identifier with a code and an authority of the European Petroleum Survey Group (EPSG).

<gmd:referenceSystemInfo>
    <gmd:MD_ReferenceSystem>
        <gmd:referenceSystemIdentifier>
            <gmd:RS_Identifier>
                <gmd:authority>
                    <gmd:CI_Citation>
                        <gmd:title>
                            <gco:CharacterString>European Petroleum Survey Group (EPSG) Geodetic Parameter Registry</gco:CharacterString>
                        </gmd:title>
                        <gmd:date>
                            <gmd:CI_Date>
                                <gmd:date>
                                    <gco:Date>2008-11-12</gco:Date>
                                </gmd:date>
                                <gmd:dateType>
                                    <gmd:CI_DateTypeCode codeList="http://www.isotc211.org/2005/resources/Codelist/gmxCodelists.xml#CI_DateTypeCode" codeListValue="publication">publication</gmd:CI_DateTypeCode>
                                </gmd:dateType>
                            </gmd:CI_Date>
                        </gmd:date>
                        <gmd:citedResponsibleParty>
                            <gmd:CI_ResponsibleParty>
                                <gmd:organisationName>
                                    <gco:CharacterString>European Petroleum Survey Group</gco:CharacterString>
                                </gmd:organisationName>
                                <gmd:contactInfo>
                                    <gmd:CI_Contact>
                                        <gmd:onlineResource>
                                            <gmd:CI_OnlineResource>
                                                <gmd:linkage>
                                                    <gmd:URL>http://www.epsg-registry.org/</gmd:URL>
                                                </gmd:linkage>
                                            </gmd:CI_OnlineResource>
                                        </gmd:onlineResource>
                                    </gmd:CI_Contact>
                                </gmd:contactInfo>
                                <gmd:role gco:nilReason="missing"/>
                            </gmd:CI_ResponsibleParty>
                        </gmd:citedResponsibleParty>                            
                    </gmd:CI_Citation>
                </gmd:authority>
                <gmd:code>
                    <gco:CharacterString>urn:ogc:def:crs:EPSG:4326</gco:CharacterString>
                </gmd:code>
                <gmd:version>
                    <gco:CharacterString>6.18.3</gco:CharacterString>
                </gmd:version>
            </gmd:RS_Identifier>
        </gmd:referenceSystemIdentifier>
    </gmd:MD_ReferenceSystem>
</gmd:referenceSystemInfo>

Resource and Metadata Constraints:

Many datasets distributed by U.S. Federal Agencies have no restrictions on their use. They do, however, include a standard disclaimer. This disclaimer is added to the boilerplate in the resourceConstraints and metadataConstraints:

<gmd:resourceConstraints> or <gmd:metadataConstraints>
  <gmd:MD_Constraints>
    <gmd:useLimitation>
      <gco:CharacterString>Disclaimer - While every effort has been made to ensure that these data are
          accurate and reliable within the limits of the current state of the art, NOAA cannot assume
          liability for any damages caused by any errors or omissions in the data, nor as a result of the
          failure of the data to function on a particular system. NOAA makes no warranty, expressed or
          implied, nor does the fact of distribution constitute such a warranty.</gco:CharacterString>
    </gmd:useLimitation>
  </gmd:MD_Constraints>
</gmd:resourceConstraints> or </gmd:metadataConstraints>