The metadata provided on Historic Scotland's CD for Scottish SAMs covered all these points.

Andrew

Chris Wardle wrote:

> So one of the aspects that I think should be looked at (though to some
> extent we may already be too late) is that that there needs to be some
> consideration of who it is that is to draw the difinative boundary on the
> GIS and then makes it available to the other who might need it on a regular
> basis.

This brings up the subject of precisely *which* metadata will be needed for an
adequate quality control of such digital map layers. Besides the metadata about
locational precision and accuracy, there must be metadata about the formal
status of the map layer (if it has any). Map layers representing information
with any kind of legal status should have metadata about:
- precise nature of that legal status
- organisation (and, where appropriate, office) responsible for providing the
digital map data
- dates on which and method by which the map layer was digitised
- a reference to the most up-to-date available source of information regarding
the map layer

Such metadata would at least inform the user about the problems listed by Chris: