To create a new metadata record using the online editor, you will have to follow the following logical steps:

1. Authenticate through username and password, to allow GeoNetwork to identify you and determine if you have the required permissions to create metadata;
2. Select "new metadata" from the administration page;
3. Select the metadata standard and a template to use as a starting point;
4. Select the Group the metadata will belong to;
5. Create a new metadata.

The steps in more detail

Step 1. Enter your username and password and click the “login” button. The system will identify you and assign the correct privileges to work with.

Figure 1: Login form

Step 2. Open the Administration page by clicking the Administration button in the banner and then click on the New metadata link (Figure 2).

Figure 2: Administration page

Step 3. From the metadata creation page, select the metadata standard to use from the dropdown list.

GeoNetwork comes by default with support for three metadata standards, ISO19115, FGDC and Dublin core (Figure 3). For the ISO standard, two templates have been developed; one for vector and one for raster data. Both contain a relevant set of elements to describe the respective types of data. More templates can be developed online.

Figure 3: List of metadata templates

Step 4. After selecting the correct template, the user should identify which group of users the metadata would belong to (Figure 4).

The Default and the Advanced views

GeoNetwork allows you to view and edit metadata using a default view or an advanced view.

The default view is the prefered one to use; it shows a selection of the available metadata elements and hides the complexity of the full metadata standard.

However, if there is a need to add or remove metadata elements, you can switch to the advanced view at any time while editing. For the ISO metadata standard, the advanced form provides access to the full set of ISO elements. To reduce its complexity, the display of the advanced form is divided into different pages, accessed through tabs that allow you to see the different categories of information. The advanced view shows buttons that let the user insert or remove new elements. The new elements will then be visible in the default view.