A set of controlled keyword best practices requirements (below) are a governance criteria used when determining what constitutes a well-curated keyword list. Below is a list of best practices. - Keywords should be applicable to an established science discipline and practical to a broad range of users and metadata providers.
- Keywords should be composed of conventional terminology that is functional and understandable by the international community.
- Keywords should not overlap with keywords that already existsexist.
- Keywords that are frequently searched for in free-text searches, but that are not already part of the existing controlled keywords are often good candidates for inclusion into the controlled new keywords.
- Keywords that are commonly populated in the uncontrolled Detailed Variables and Ancillary Keywords field will be considered for inclusion into the controlled keywords (ex: the Detailed Variables and Ancillary Keywords can be moved into one of the existing Variable Levels)GCMD keywords.
- Keywords should only be considered if applicable to existing or forthcoming Earth science data/metadata (ex: e.g. a new project, instrument, mission, or collaboration).
- Keywords will be periodically analyzed for relevancy and be updated or deprecated as needed.must be parallel in scope at any level of the hierarchy.
- Example: a broad and narrow keyword should not be included within any one level of the hierarchy.
- All chosen topics, terms, and variables, at any level within the hierarchy, must be distinctive - minimizing overlap as much as possible. This will ensure a concise keyword list.
- Keywords in the hierarchy should be logically/semantically correct.
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