< CPH GIS Data Archive

Help for Contributors

If you are new to the data portal, please checkout the basic help.

This help assumes you are familiar with the terms scope, category, and area as they are used within the portal. The help also assume you are familiar with common file formats, data types, and spatial references used in geospatial applications.

Adding Datasets to the Archive

Note: Please only add high quality final datasets to the archive in spatial references that are supported and with metadata in the format defined below.  If data is found to be outside the specified requirements, it will not be added to the website and will be removed from the archive.

The most straight forward way to add data to the archive is a single dataset. This would be a single shape file or TIFF file.

  1. Review the data for completeness, accuracy and errors and address any issues.
  2. If needed, please project the data to a standard spatial reference that has an EPSG code, as coordinate systems that do not have an EPSG code are not supported. The following spatial references are preferred:
    1. WGS84 for datasets with an extent that is too large for other commonly used spatial references. This might include data for North America.
    2. WGS84, UTM for datasets that fit within a single UTM zone (or almost fit). This would include:
      1. WGS84, UTM Zone 10 North: for datasets for Northern California.
    3. NAD83, State Plane: this spatial reference system is not recommended but is readily used by government agencies. This includes:
      1. NAD83, State Plane California Zone I for datasets in northern California.
  3. Create a metadata file to accompany the dataset. The format we use is a relatively simple format based on standards and what we have seen is commonly used and of value to end users and curators of the data. The file name must be titled "CPHMetadata.txt" in order to ensure that the metadata can be read and populated on the archive website. The following is an example of the contents of a file. Please refer to the "Metadata Terms" in the Help page to learn what fields are required for the metadata. Below is an example what is expected in a "CPHMetadata.txt" file:
Example CPHMetadata File:

Title: Humboldt County Boundary 
Description: Shows the boundary of Humboldt County in northern California. 
Status: Completed 
Publisher: Humboldt County 
Submitted by: Jim Graham 
Submitter Email: james.graham@humboldt.edu
Submitted on: 1/25/2024 
Begin Valid Date: 2020 
End Valid Date: 2020 
License: CC BY
Use Constraints: None
Access Constraints: None
License Holder: Humboldt County
Author: Jerry von Dohlen
Affiliation: Humboldt County Community Development Services - Advance Planning Division.
Contact Email: jvondohlen@co.humboldt.ca.us
Contact Name: Jerry von Dohlen
  1. Zip the dataset files and the CPHMetadata.txt file into a single zip file. Please use a plain "zip" file as 7z is a commercial project.
  2. Give the zip file a file name that uses the following format (note that this is not currently strictly required as the folder provides the scope, area, and category)
    1. For Vector data: scope_area_category_description_date.zip
      1. County_Humboldt_CA_Built_countyroads_20200514.zip
    2. For raster data: scope_area_category_description_resolution_date.zip
      1. City_Arcata_AerialImagery_3inch_2020.zip
  3. Store the zip file in the correct folder in the archive located at:
    1. \\storage.humboldt.edu\Academic\GSP-Database
  4. Note that it is critical for the zip file to be in the correct folder for users to find the data.
  5. The zip file will be proceeded within a week and will be available on the website if there are no major errors. If errors do occur, you will be notified through email and you will be able to update the zip file by replacing it or by editing the metadata on the website. If not email is available, the curators will remove the dataset from the archive.

Collections

The process for adding collections of similar datasets is the same as for a dataset except there is only one metadata file that covers all the datasets. Note that if the collection contains datasets that are of different types or date ranges, it should be turned in as a project.

Title: City of Arcata 3 inch aerial imagery
Description: Set of tiles of color aerial images for the city of Arcata in Northern California
Status: Complete
Publisher: City of Arcata
Submitted by: Jim Graham 
Submitted on: 1/25/2024 
Begin Valid Date: 2017 
End Valid Date: 2017

Projects

Since projects contain different types of datasets or datasets from different date ranges, we need a metadata file for each dataset in the project. Because of this, each dataset needs to be zipped together with it's metadata, added to a folder for the collection, and then zipped together into a single folder and added to the archive. Note that the metadata for each dataset can also be edited on the website.

Title: Eel River Atlas  
Description: Collection of historical maps for the Humboldt/Wigi Bay area  
Status: Historical Archive  
Created by: Aldaron Laird  
Publisher: Trinity Associates 
Submitted by: Jim Graham  
Submitted on: 1/25/2024  
Begin Valid Date: 1857  
End Valid Date: 2000