<html><head></head><body><div style="color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:lucida console, sans-serif;font-size:13px"><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1481131958950_103386"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1481131958950_103452">Hi,</span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1481131958950_103453"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1481131958950_103452"> </span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1481131958950_103477"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1481131958950_103452">It is my intention to present to you metadata, not as a requirement to fulfill our sponsor's directive to publish data online but as a tool for data gathering and databases design.</span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1481131958950_103500"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1481131958950_103452"><br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1481131958950_103534" dir="ltr"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1481131958950_103553">The idea is simple; as you write the following information<b>...</b></span></div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1481131958950_103571"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1481131958950_103553"><br></span></div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1481131958950_103574"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1481131958950_130249">- <b id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1481131958950_132422">project description & data set abstract</b> (</span><span style="mso-bookmark:STARTINGDATE" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1481131958950_130250"><span style="mso-bookmark:ENDPERIOD" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1481131958950_130251">Dfn. in metadata: </span></span><span style="mso-bookmark:STARTINGDATE" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1481131958950_103554"><span style="mso-bookmark:ENDPERIOD" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1481131958950_103555">Describes how the variables measured in the data set contribute to achieve the
scientific goals of the project)<br><br></span></span></div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1481131958950_130149"><span style="mso-bookmark:STARTINGDATE" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1481131958950_130184"><span style="mso-bookmark:ENDPERIOD" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1481131958950_130185">- <b id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1481131958950_132461">data set methods</b> (Dfn. in metadata: </span></span><span style="mso-bookmark:STARTINGDATE" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1481131958950_130186"><span style="mso-bookmark:ENDPERIOD" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1481131958950_130187">Description of the
methods used to collect and analyze the data (<span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1481131958950_130188"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1481131958950_130189">eg</span></span><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1481131958950_130190">.,</span> experimental design,
field and laboratory methods) and the type of analysis used...)<br><br></span></span></div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1481131958950_130220"><span style="mso-bookmark:STARTINGDATE" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1481131958950_130257"><span style="mso-bookmark:ENDPERIOD" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1481131958950_130258">- <b>variables</b> (</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark:STARTINGDATE" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1481131958950_130259"><span style="mso-bookmark:ENDPERIOD" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1481131958950_130260">including specification of labels used in data file for a specific measurement, its definition, unit, precision, range, etc.)<br></span></span></div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1481131958950_130107"><span style="mso-bookmark:STARTINGDATE" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1481131958950_103554"><span style="mso-bookmark:ENDPERIOD" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1481131958950_103555"><br></span></span></div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1481131958950_103704"><span style="mso-bookmark:STARTINGDATE" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1481131958950_103633"><span style="mso-bookmark:ENDPERIOD" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1481131958950_103634"><a name="DATACOLLECTIONTIME" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1481131958950_103639" href=""></a></span></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1481131958950_103440"><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1481131958950_106395"><br></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1481131958950_103774"><b>...</b>you have a tool to give structure to the data files that will be used to analyze your data. <br></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1481131958950_106510"><br></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1481131958950_106513">At the end, you will have a <b id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1481131958950_132258">place to collect all this information</b> and have a holistic picture of your project and data plus <i id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1481131958950_132269"><b id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1481131958950_132268">a specific place to find needed information for your publications</b></i>.<br></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1481131958950_103784"><br></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1481131958950_103795">You can download LUQ's metadata Word format form from:</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1481131958950_130690" dir="ltr"><a href="http://luq.lternet.edu/IM/OnlineForms#publicForms" class="" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1481131958950_131785">http://luq.lternet.edu/IM/OnlineForms#publicForms</a><br></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1481131958950_131872"><br></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1481131958950_131874">I will be happy top assist you in all these matters, particularly in the design of a database using Excel or a data base management system (MySQL, Paradox).<br></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1481131958950_132331"><br></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1481131958950_132260">EDA</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1481131958950_130509"><br></div></div><div class="signature" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1481131958950_103438">Eda C. Melendez Colom<br> Information Manager<br> LTER Program<br> University of Puerto Rico<br> Tel. (787) 764-0000 (1-88225)<br> Fax (787) 772 -1481</div></div></body></html>