All supported Geosoft spatial datasets, such as databases, maps, grids, voxels, etc., maintain metadata that describes the data. The metadata is stored as XML in a file next to the data file, or among the set of files for file types that use file sets. The metadata XML file will have the name of the main dataset file with '.xml' appended. For example, a grid file named 'mag.grd' will have a metadata XML file named 'mag.grd.xml'.
Metadata content conforms to FGDC (https://www.fgdc.gov/metadata), ISO 19139 (https://www.iso.org/standard/32557.html) and Geosoft. The following describes the schema for the standard items that geosoft maintains in default dataset metadata:
geosoft="geosoft/dataset/title" fgdc="idinfo/citation/citeinfo/title" iso19139="identificationInfo/MD_DataIdentification/citation/CI_Citation/title/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/purpose" fgdc="idinfo/descript/purpose" iso19139="identificationInfo/MD_DataIdentification/purpose/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/subject" fgdc="idinfo/keywords/theme/themekey" iso19139="identificationInfo/MD_DataIdentification/descriptiveKeywords/MD_Keywords/keyword/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/category" fgdc="idinfo/keywords/theme/themekey" iso19139="identificationInfo/MD_DataIdentification/descriptiveKeywords/MD_Keywords/keyword/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/type" fgdc="idinfo/keywords/theme/themekey" iso19139="identificationInfo/MD_DataIdentification/descriptiveKeywords/MD_Keywords/keyword/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/file_format" fgdc="distinfo/stdorder/digform/digtinfo/formname" iso19139="identificationInfo/MD_DataIdentification/resourceFormat/MD_Format/name/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/weblink" fgdc="metainfo/metextns/onlink" iso19139="dataSetURI/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/description" fgdc="idinfo/descript/abstract" iso19139="identificationInfo/MD_DataIdentification/abstract/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/continent" fgdc="idinfo/keywords/place/placekey" iso19139="identificationInfo/MD_DataIdentification/descriptiveKeywords/MD_Keywords/keyword/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/country" fgdc="idinfo/keywords/place/placekey" iso19139="identificationInfo/MD_DataIdentification/descriptiveKeywords/MD_Keywords/keyword/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/province_state" fgdc="idinfo/keywords/place/placekey" iso19139="identificationInfo/MD_DataIdentification/descriptiveKeywords/MD_Keywords/keyword/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/region" fgdc="idinfo/keywords/place/placekey" iso19139="identificationInfo/MD_DataIdentification/descriptiveKeywords/MD_Keywords/keyword/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/project_name" fgdc="idinfo/descript/supplinf" iso19139="identificationInfo/MD_DataIdentification/citation/CI_Citation/collectiveTitle/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/data_source" fgdc="idinfo/datacred" iso19139="dataQualityInfo/DQ_DataQuality/lineage/LI_Lineage/source/LI_Source/description/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/project_type" fgdc="idinfo/projecttype" iso19139="identificationInfo/MD_DataIdentification/topicCategory/MD_TopicCategoryCode" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/resolution" fgdc="idinfo/srcscale" iso19139="identificationInfo/MD_DataIdentification/spatialResolution/MD_Resolution/distance" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/unitofmeasurement" fgdc="idinfo/unitofmeasurement" iso19139="identificationInfo/MD_DataIdentification/geox:unitofmeasurement/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/data_created_by" fgdc="dataqual/lineage/procstep/proccont/cntinfo/cntperp/cntper" iso19139="identificationInfo/MD_DataIdentification/pointOfContact/C_ResponsibleParty/individualName/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/data_creation_date" fgdc="dataqual/lineage/procstep/procdate" iso19139="identificationInfo/MD_DataIdentification/citation/CI_Citation/date/CI_Date/date/gco:Date" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/metadata_created_by" fgdc="metainfo/metc/cntinfo/cntperp/cntper" iso19139="contact/C_ResponsibleParty/individualName/gco:CharacterString" geosoft="geosoft/dataset/metadata_creation_date" fgdc="metainfo/metd" iso19139="dateStamp/gco:Date" geosoft="geosoft/geo:dataset/geo:confidentiality" fgdc="idinfo/accconst" iso19139="identificationInfo/MD_DataIdentification/resourceSpecificUsage/MD_Usage/specificUsage/gco:CharacterString"
The metadata editor configuration describes the dropdown options and the specific structure of each metadata field: