GCIS Table Conventions

Appropriate Use Case

• Tables are the high level representation of array data. They represent the Table objects in Reports.
• We only create them for USGCRP publications.
• We create them by hand.
• Tables may contain multiple arrays and in this case, a table caption would be used to briefly explain the relationship between the arrays.

Field Conventions

Field	Description
identifier	Short identifier based on the title.
ordinal	The numeric position of this table within a chapter. Must start with a number, may contain numbers, letters, dashes, dots and underscores
title	The title of the table as it appears in the publication.
caption	The visible explanatory text that accompanies the array data in the publication. When there is a difference in the caption between the print and online tables, we match the online table.
url	Generally not used. If the Table has a proper, stand alone landing page, it should go here.

Provenance Conventions

As child:

prov:wasDerivedFrom

• With very rare exceptions, not to be used on Tables, but rather their underlying Array.

cito:cites

• If a cell in the array or a statement in the caption includes a citation, the table should use this semantic connection to link to the reference.

As parent:

cito:isCitedBy
prov:wasDerivedFrom

• These are used when future USGCRP publications cite or derive things from the table.
• We do not actively look for outside use of the table.

Relationship Conventions

Chapter

• If the Table is within a chapter, this should be connected.
• If the Table is in a publication lacking chapters, this may be blank.

Report

• Should always be provided, linking to the containing publication.

Contributors

• To be filled in if specified in the Publication and we chose to do so on a Publication wide basis.

Files

• Not used.

GCMD Keywords

• Can be associated if used on a publication wide basis.

Regions

• Not implemeneted

Array

• Every table should have at least one array.