Bringing Natural Resources Wales’s data to a wider audience
Natural Resources Wales (NRW) / Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru is a Welsh Government Sponsored Body. Its purpose is to ensure that the natural resources of Wales are sustainably maintained, enhanced and used, now and in the future.
NRW is committed to sharing its information and data in an open, transparent and readily accessible way.
Following the FAIR data principles, the first of which is making data ‘Findable’, NRW needed to replace the ‘end-of-life’ NRW Library and Data Catalogue with a more modern, user-friendly and configurable solution.
PROJECT SCOPE
Identifying stakeholders and their needs
To deem the project successful, NRW needed to meet various user and stakeholder needs:
INTERNAL USERS
Internal users need to know what data is held, where to find it and who is responsible for it.
Being able to understand any restrictions on usage/licensing of datasets at the first point of access helps users to avoid time wasting.
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC
NRW has to tell people what data it holds.
Providing a self-service portal improves NRW’s service to the community. With over 1,000 datasets available, it’s easier for members of the public to look for NRW-owned data in a central place than to contact NRW for information.
OTHER DATA PORTALS
NRW is required to share data with other organisations and portals, including DataMapWales (a Welsh Government site which shares data and maps from the Welsh public sector).
NRW wanted to make it easier to take copies of the data in both English and Welsh in readiness for uploading to the DataMapWales portal.
THE WIDER ORGANISATION
NRW has to publish metadata to be legally compliant. This has to meet the requirements of the INSPIRE Standard.
NRW’s options
NRW had been using a combined library and metadata catalogue from a library supplier. This had been customised to accommodate its metadata needs. With a limited amount of time and budget available to design and implement a new portal, NRW explored three potential solutions…
Using a library catalogue
NRW felt strongly that this project required an in-depth knowledge of metadata and standards. Unfortunately, library suppliers would not have the expertise needed.
Building a solution in-house
The NRW team found the idea of developing a portal to meet their exact needs exciting. Unfortunately, they were forced to conclude that this solution would carry too much overhead.
Using an off-the-shelf metadata provider
NRW chose to work with a team of dedicated metadata experts… Astun fitted the bill perfectly.
MAKING THE DECISION
Reasons to pick Astun
As well as cost, efficiency and value for money, Astun offered:
AN EXPERT TEAM
Astun had its own Data Discoverability team committed to helping clients make data FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable)
AN IMPRESSIVE CLIENT LIST
Astun had completed metadata projects for well-known clients, such as Ordnance Survey and the Scottish Government
STANDARDS-LED THINKING
Astun had direct experience with the GEMINI standards
CONNECTIONS
Astun had useful contacts in the metadata community
Features and benefits of NRW’s new ‘Data Discovery’ catalogue
We built a ‘Data Discovery’ catalogue which allows members of the public to discover and find data collated and managed by NRW in one place. The site anticipates and answers users’ most common queries by displaying maps and accompanying information.
Here are some of its key features and benefits:
Multiple metadata schemas
The portal complies with GEMINI and MEDIN standards, making data sharing easier.
Data security
Data integrity is maintained by ensuring some records are only visible to internal users. This includes records still in draft, those undergoing validation to the relevant metadata standard and those not yet due for release.
Improved search functionality
The search engine uses titles, abstracts, lineage and keywords to help users identify potentially suitable datasets. This has led to a noticeable reduction in enquiries fielded by the Data Services Team.
Filtering
Users can find datasets by using the Topic Category and INSPIRE Theme filters. These allow them to identify and explore datasets which were previously unknown to them. As a result, users can make more informed decisions.
Links to data portals
Clear links to external data portals, such as DataMapWales and the National Biodiversity Network Species Atlas, make it easier for users to access published datasets.
Clear usage information
Flags enable users to easily recognise access and use conditions on datasets, including those available under the terms of an Open Government Licence. This drives compliance.
Map viewer
A map viewer enables users to distinguish the geospatial extent of the metadata they are viewing. This is visible on the main search page and within the metadata record. As a result, users save time and have an enhanced experience.
Bilingual capabilities
The inclusion of a Welsh portal which meets Welsh Language Standards ensures that all users can access and use the Data Discovery portal.
A SPOTLIGHT ON…
The Welsh language
The Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011 is the legislation that created the Welsh language standards. It is a legally binding framework that all public organisations in Wales must follow to make sure that the Welsh language is treated no less favourably than English.
NRW’s Welsh Language Specialist Advisor reviewed and signed off the specification and the final iteration of the Data Discovery service. Measures that were implemented include:
EASY TOGGLING
Users can easily switch between languages using a toggle on the top right corner of each page.
WELSH LANGUAGE EXPORTS
Any exports e.g. PDFs or .xls include Welsh headings.
TITLES AND TEXT
Bilingual metadata titles ensure customers can search in their preferred language. Where NRW onward publishes data, it also provides Welsh language text, such as this abstract.
A SPOTLIGHT ON…
The MEDIN portal
NRW needs to make its marine data available to The Marine Environmental & Data Information Network (MEDIN). MEDIN publishes this in a data discovery portal which contains information about over 17,000 datasets from over 600 UK organisations. This allows users, through a single point of access, to find information on marine datasets held at Data Archive Centres and at other public and private sector bodies.
METADATA
Data originators, like NRW, create MEDIN metadata records using the MEDIN schema for record validation.
STANDARDS
These metadata records adhere to the MEDIN Discovery Metadata Standard.
CONSISTENCY
The standard ensures that each record is consistent with the next and has the right information for users.
Visit MEDINDATA SHARING
The NRW Data Discovery portal makes it easier to harvest data to the MEDIN portal.
Testimonials
Don’t take our word for it – here’s what NRW has to say!
“The Data Discovery portal provides the efficiency of self-service and supports informed decisions.”
“By having metadata, we know where the data is and who in the organisation knows about it. Sharing data via the portal cuts down on the number of people coming to us and asking what data is available. The portal helps users understand how they can and can’t use the data. This stops them from wasting time working with data only for us to inform them that they can’t use it that way.”
“As a public body we have to respond to FOI and Environmental Information Requests and provide information on what data assets we hold to support requests. Metadata is one way to help us respond to these questions.”
Monica Jones
Data Services Team Leader
Natural Resources Wales