| This research identifies the relations between data type, data object, and associated metadata. A framework relating metadata specifics to different data objects will be developed. Three types of metadata are identified: specifications, history and findings. They have different behavior patterns as well as varying representation requirements. Therefore, querying metadata calls for a variety of techniques.; This research also examines a specific domain of data--soils data, in an attempt to identify domain-specific problems in relation to metadata queries. It is found that high degrees of uncertainty are involved in delineation of soil map units. Assessing accuracy under this condition is relatively difficult. Instead of searching for a precise measure for accuracy, educating users on the artifacts of soil boundaries may be a more essential and practical approach to the problem.; Finally, this research addresses the design problem of embedding metadata within a spatial data base. It is concluded that the layer-structure of GIS constrains metadata management on the level of individual features. A data model for incorporating metadata with a spatial database is proposed. |
