What is DCAT‐US?

The DCAT-US Schema 1.1 is U.S. Government’s standardized metadata specification for describing data assets. It was formerly known as the Project Open Data Metadata Schema. The international W3C DCAT specification provides the basis of the standard, and agencies use the schema to compile their dataset listings for inclusion on Data.gov. The OPEN Government Data Act and the Open Data Policy require federal agencies to publish an enterprise data inventory using the standard DCAT-US metadata schema. This version of DCAT-US v3.0 attempts to address the limitations and shortcomings of the existing DCAT-US Schema 1.1. The proposed “v3.0” schema intends to address the current shortcomings and new requirements for findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable (FAIR) digital data assets.

Associated Policies & Authorities

DCAT-US is the metadata standard associated with the requirements for enterprise data inventories in the OMB M-13-13 open data policy and the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act Title II, OPEN Government Data Act (Evidence Act). The Evidence Act applies to all agencies. These federal policies do not apply to state and local governments which may have their own policies. However, state and local governments are welcome voluntarily to contribute their metadata to Data.gov. To do so, they must publish their metadata using the DCAT-US standard while omitting any federal-specific metadata elements as noted in the documentation.

This wiki gathers information and discussion about the DCAT-US profile.

History of DCAT-US

Project Open Data (POD) is a US Government initiative that established (c. 2014) the POD metadata schema (version 1.1—also known as DCAT-US v1.1) for federal datasets. Although it played a critical role in promoting open data in the US, it has its own set of limitations. POD 1.1 simplifies metadata compared to ISO 19115, making implementation easier. However, this simplicity could mean that certain detailed metadata required for comprehensive understanding and use of the dataset might not be available. The POD 1.1 schema doesn't include controlled vocabularies, which can make data discovery more challenging because users and data providers might use different terminology to describe the same data. POD 1.1 was developed primarily for US federal data, and its compatibility with other international data standards like DCAT is not fully ensured, potentially limiting its usefulness for data interoperability on a global scale.

These limitations indicate that while existing standards have made significant strides toward enabling better data management, there is still room for improvement. It is essential to continue evolving these standards and creating new ones that can address the existing shortcomings, enhancing data discoverability, interoperability, and utilization in an increasingly data-driven world.

The following links provide more context around DCAT-US and the challenges that it attempts to address:

• Unraveling the DCAT Standard and the Benefits of a DCAT-US Profile