ABSTRACT
Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) Metadata Portals are online marketplaces for the publication, search and discovery of geospatial datasets. These GeoPortals help users to find geographic datasets. They are built using interchangeable standards and play an important role in the socioeconomic development of countries through planning and management of critical infrastructure such as transport, land administration and water management. The standardisation of metadata is fundamental to the sharing of these datasets through online publication and discovery portals, and in providing users with meaningful information on how fit-for-purpose each spatial dataset is. In this chapter, we will discuss the state of geospatial metadata standards and review a small sample of global SDI implementations empowering Online GIS systems.
