Metadata mandatory

Besides metadata such as the substance name and CAS number, the water body (name, type, etc.), the name of the sampling station and GPS coordinates, sampling date and type of matrix - which should indeed be regarded as mandatory information (i.e. Category 1 metadata) - it is also important to address in detail the characterisation of the sample matrix. As explained more fully in the following sections, without this information it will be difficult to compare results from, for example, different sites or samples collected at the same site but at different times. 

Knowledge of whether dissolved or total metal was measured is the first crucial information. Moreover, in order to enable further investigation of the bio-available fraction from the measured concentration in the dissolved fraction, additional parameters have been included in the reporting template (see Table 9.1.2). They are classified as Category 2 metadata (i.e. non-mandatory information in the current prioritisation process). These parameters (metadata) are also mentioned in the EIONET-Water template, but actual data are not often reported and not readily available in most of the existing databases. 

In line with the above, a nnmber of QA/QC metadata were selected in the common template for data reporting at EU level nnder the WED, but not all of them are mandatory (i.e. they are not Category 1 data), as can be seen in Table 9.1.1. 

The future of data curation lies in these technologies which are beginning to come together in these collaborative community-based data curation solutions. Very important also is to inform others about the importance of data sharing. It is very significant to help researchers and universities to understand how important it is to share data with others and how much more efficient research will be if we can have open access to each other s information. Also, we need to improve metadata awareness and training, making it mandatory to help others understand what metadata are and how they are used so that... 

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