Individual Metadata Upload (IMU) Tool for the USGS Science Data Catalog (SDC)

Who needs to use IMU?

IMU is used to deliver a metadata XML file to the SDC when:

• USGS data are published in an external (non-USGS) repository
• USGS data are published in a smaller USGS repository that does not provide metadata to the SDC
• a collection-level metadata record is necessary to provide access to a data release or data system that contains hundreds to thousands of individual assets

Who does not need to use IMU?

• Anyone who is publishing their data to the following USGS repositories, all of which publish metadata nightly to the SDC:
• ScienceBase
• Alaska Science Center Repository
• Coastal & Marine Geoscience Data System
• EROS / Earth Explorer

Before submitting your XML metadata record to IMU, you must ensure that:

• Your metadata is written in one of the following standards
• FGDC Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata (CSDGM)
• FGDC CSDGM Biological Data Profile
• ISO 19115-2
• the latest version of ISO, ISO 19115-1/19115-3, will be supported by SDC beginning in Q3 of FY24
• Your metadata XML file is valid
• Your metadata contains a valid USGS Metadata Identifier, in the correct syntax and inserted in the correct location in the XML
• Your USGS Metadata Identifier is registered in the USGS Persistent Identifier Registration (PIR) Tool
• Your metadata contains a valid link (a DOI) to the data's landing page in your chosen repository
• Your metadata file provides a metadata contact (a named person/position or a team name)
• Your metadata file provides a valid and active metadata contact email address
• Your metadata file provides a metadata date that reflects the latest YYYY-MM-DD on which the metadata was updated

Failure to meet the above criteria will result in your metadata record failing validation and not being indexed in the Science Data Catalog

By submitting your metadata record to the SDC via IMU, you are affirming that your metadata record has been reviewed for compliance with USGS SM 502.7.

IMU is undergoing maintenance to comply with new USGS policies related to Two-Factor Authentication for applications.

If you have a metadata file to submit to the Science Data Catalog:

• send the XML file as attachment to ask-sdm@usgs.gov.
• indicate in the email whether the file you are sending is a record that is new to the SDC, or a revision to an XML metadata file previously submitted to the SDC through IMU.