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Frequently Asked Questions
The Geography Network Canada provides access
to geographic content from hundreds of organizations around
the world. The content ranges from dynamic map services
that can be viewed online to static geographic data sets
that can be downloaded for use with mapping software. Below
are answers to some frequently asked questions organized
by topic.
Finding Content
What types of
content can I find?
How do I find content?
What types of content can I find?
There are three categories of geographic
content available on the Geography Network Canada: data,
documents, and resources. Each category has a number of
content types. Search for data
if you want to download, order, or add data or map services
directly to your map. Search for documents
if you are interested in map files, static map images, and
geographic information. Search for resources
if you are seeking links to external Web sites, data clearinghouses,
geographic information system (GIS)-based Web applications,
and geographic services. More
details.
How do I find content?
There are two ways to find content:
the Geography Network Canada Explorer, the Geography Network Canada site,
and the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) Clearinghouse.
- The Explorer lets
you search or browse for content. You can then view details
describing the content and preview it through the Explorer.
More details.
- The Web site is organized by
major types of content: data,
maps, and solutions.
Each section lists specific content with links to product
information.
Using the Explorer
How do I use the
Explorer to find content?
How do I preview content in the
Explorer?
How do I add content from
the Explorer to ArcMap, ArcExplorer, or ArcExplorer Web?
How do I print Explorer results?
How do I use the Explorer to find content?
The Geography Network Canada Explorer lets
you search and preview metadata for a vast collection of
geographic content. There are two ways to find geographic
content using the Explorer.
- Searching. The Explorer
enables you to search based on specific criteria such
as area of interest, keyword, or type of content. To confine
your search to a specific geographic area, enter a place
name or draw a box on the map. To find a specific type
of content, select a content type and/or content theme.
Or you can enter a keyword. Use any combination of search
criteria to narrow your results. More
details.
- Browsing. Metadata documents
are organized into a hierarchy of directories and subdirectories,
making them easy to browse. Select the Browse tab on the
left side of the Explorer, then choose a specific publisher
to view their content. More
details.
How do I preview content in the Explorer?
Your searching or browsing results are
summarized in the right panel of the Explorer. If searching
or browsing returned more than one result, the records are
listed by content type. Descriptions of each data set include
the name of the publisher, the content title, and often
the coverage area and map scale. Select the View Details
or View Map button beneath a specific record to see its
detailed description or preview the map. More
details.
How do I add content from the Explorer
to ArcMap, ArcExplorer, or ArcExplorer Web?
If you launched the Geography Network Canada
Explorer from ArcMap, ArcExplorer, or ArcExplorer Web, an
Add to ArcMap, Add to ArcExplorer, or Add to ArcExplorer
Web button is available from the Search Results. Click this
button to add the selected data or service directly to your
current ArcMap, ArcExplorer, or ArcExplorer Web map display.
How do I print Explorer results?
Anything that appears in the right panel
of the Explorer can be printed. This includes metadata,
maps, and search results. To create a printable version
of content displayed in the right panel (excluding the navigation
and map tools buttons), click the Create Printable Version
button located in the upper right corner. More
details.
Using Content
Do I need special
tools to use content found in the Geography Network?
What types of content are available?
What kinds of data are available?
What kinds of documents are available?
What kinds of resources are available?
Do I need special tools to use content
found in the Geography Network?
Most Geography Network Canada content can be
used with one of two tools: a standard Web browser or a
GIS software package. Web browsers can be used to access
content such as map services, solutions, and clearinghouses.
Other content, including map data files and data services,
require GIS software to be fully utilized.
What types of content are available?
Three categories of content can
be found on the Geography Network: data, documents, and
resources.
- Data
can be added directly to your map, downloaded, or ordered.
- Documents
include map files, static map images, and other documents.
- Resources
are GIS-based Web applications, geographic services, links
to external Web sites, and data clearinghouses.
When choosing content, consider
the level of interaction you want to have with the data
and whether or not you want to download it to your own machine.
What kinds of data are available?
There are a variety of data types
available to discover and use on the Geography Network.
These include:
- Dynamic
Data and Maps: GIS users can access "live" data and
maps, such as ArcIMS
or Web map server (WMS) map services, using software tools
such as ArcGIS,
ArcExplorer--Java
Edition, or ArcExplorer
Web available on this site.
- Offline Data: Many publishers
offer data that can be ordered online and delivered in
CD or DVD format or as other shippable media. This data
cannot be directly downloaded to your computer.
What kinds of documents are available?
Several types of documents are available
on the Geography Network Canada including:
- Map
Files: Map files are digital maps that can be viewed
in a mapping application such as ArcReader or ArcMap.
Map files are typically completed maps that are ready
for viewing, publishing, and printing.
- Static Maps: You cannot directly
interact with static map images as you can with dynamic
data and maps. You can view them and download them to
your computer.
- Other Documents: This category
includes geographic information stored in text files,
spreadsheets, or other formats and can be used in conjunction
with geographic data. In many cases, they can be viewed
and downloaded.
What kinds of resources are available?
Application developers and GIS users
can find important resources on the Geography Network Canada including:
- Applications:
An online application is built using Geography Network Canada
content or other Internet-hosted data. The application
includes a complete user interface and set of geographic
content needed to perform one or more tasks. GIS Web Services:
- GIS Web services are Internet
applications with a geographic focus-using data and related
functionality to perform basic geoprocessing tasks such
as place name searches, address matching, or routing.
GIS Web services use simple object access protocols (SOAP)
to transfer information back and forth to clients and
bring together two industry-standard languages for communicating
over the Internet: HTTP and XML.
- Clearinghouses:
A clearinghouse is a Web site that contains references
and links to a variety of free geographic data. Many clearinghouses
offer geographic data for download while other sites include
metadata references or hyperlinks to data sets that may
be acquired through other mechanisms.
Publishing Content
Can I be a publisher?
What kind of content can
I publish?
How do I publish a map service?
How do I publish links to geographic
data and maps?
How do I use ArcCatalog to
publish metadata to the Geography Network?
When will my content appear on the
Geography Network?
How do I use ArcCatalog to
review metadata records published on the Geography Network?
Are there limitations to
using ArcCatalog to search metadata records on the Geography
Network?
Can I set up my own metadata
structure when I use ArcCatalog to add records to the Geography
Network?
Can I use ArcCatalog to publish
ArcReader (*.pmf) files to the Geography Network?
Is more information available
about publishing?
Can I be a publisher?
If you have geographic content you are
interested in sharing with others, we invite you to publish
it through the Geography Network Canada so it can be discovered
and accessed by our users.
What kind of content can I publish?
There are two ways to provide content
through the Geography Network:
- Publish map services using an
Internet mapping system that users can view online and/or
download.
- Publish links to geographic data
and maps that users can access and download from the Internet.
How do I publish a map service?
It's quick and easy to publish your
map service on the Geography Network.
- First, create a map service implemented
with an Internet Map Server that speaks one of the languages
used by the Geography Network, either ArcXML or WMS.
- Use your Internet Map Server
software to author and publish map services with your
geographic data.
- Then, register
as a publisher on the Geography Network.
- Finally, publish links to your
content with descriptive information to help users find
and evaluate your offerings.
More
details
Publish using ArcCatalog
How do I publish links to geographic
data and maps?
To publish links to your data and
maps
- First, register
as a publisher on the Geography Network.
- Then, publish links to your content
with descriptive information to help users find and evaluate
your offerings.
More
details.
How do I use ArcCatalog to publish metadata
to the Geography Network?
To use ArcCatalog to publish metadata
records to the Geography Network:
- Open ArcCatalog and click Internet
Servers. Then click Add Internet Server.
- Enter http://www.geographynetwork.ca
as the URL.
- Under Account, check Show Secure
Services and enter your Geography Network Canada username
and password.
- Click OK. The Geography Network
Canada Internet server will appear in ArcCatalog.
- Click to select the items whose
metadata you want to publish in the Geography Network
Canada contents tab or catalog tree.
- Click Copy.
- Under www.geographynetwork.ca,
click the metadata service.
- Next, click your publisher folder
in the metadata service, making sure all new records are
moved to this folder.
- Click Paste.
For more details, see Using ArcIMS
Metadata Server, Chapter 4, Publishing
to a Metadata Server [PDF-982
KB].
When will my content appear on the Geography
Network?
Publishing can take a few moments.
Should there be a problem, a report will appear to explain
why a document could not be published. If you are publishing
something that has been previously published on the Geography
Network, the report shows which documents have been updated.
Our editors review new documents
for accuracy and completeness before they are published
on the Geography Network. Notification will be sent to you
when your new records are published.
How do I use ArcCatalog to review metadata
records published on the Geography Network?
To view published and approved records:
- Open ArcCatalog and click Internet
Servers.
- Then click Add Internet Server.
- Enter http://www.geographynetwork.com
as the URL.
- Click OK. The Geography Network Canada
Internet server will appear in ArcCatalog.
- Click the Geography Network Canada Internet
server to display its contents.
- Click the Browse_Metadata metadata
service.
- Now, click any of the items shown
to view the published metadata record.
For more details, see Using ArcIMS
Metadata Server, Chapter 4, Finding
Data [PDF-982 KB].
Are there limitations to using ArcCatalog
to search metadata records on the Geography Network?
You can find ISO documents if you perform
a full-text search or a spatial search of the Geography
Network with the ArcIMS Metadata Service search engine in
ArcCatolog. Other records are all hard coded to FGDC elements.
Can I set up my own metadata structure
when I use ArcCatalog to add records to the Geography Network?
Yes. You can organize the metadata records
in your publisher folder in a way that makes sense to you
(e.g., by department, publisher, content, area, thematically).
The metadata folders will be accessible through the Geography
Network Explorer.
Can I use ArcCatalog to publish ArcReader
(*.pmf) files to the Geography Network?
Yes. ArcCatalog can read and publish ArcReader
(*.pmf) files to the Geography Network.
Is more information available about publishing?
Learn more about how to publish
content on the Geography Network Canada by reading the ESRI white
paper How
to Participate in the Geography Network [PDF-154
KB].
Tips for GIS Users
The Geography Network Canada provides useful
resources for the GIS user.
- The Geography Network Canada Explorer
lets you discover sources of GIS data, maps, and other
content to help with your daily activities.
- Publishing
your own content, such as GIS data or applications,
is quick and easy through the Geography Network.
Here are some basics about the Geography
Network to help in getting started.
What's the best
way to find data, maps, and other content for use in GIS?
What kinds of data for GIS are available
on the Geography Network?
What kinds of maps for GIS are available
on the Geography Network?
How can I publish content for other
GIS users?
How will GIS users and others find my
content?
What's the best way to find data, maps,
and other content for use in GIS?
The Geography Network Canada Explorer
is the primary tool for discovering and accessing content.
Use the Search and Browse tools to find what you need. Learn
more about using the Explorer.
What kinds of data for GIS are available
on the Geography Network?
Currently, free data sets can be
discovered on the Geography Network Canada including:
- Dynamic
Data and Maps: GIS users can access "live" data and
maps, such as ArcIMS or WMS map services, using software
tools such as ArcGIS and ArcExplorer--Java Edition.
What kinds of maps for GIS are available
on the Geography Network?
Discover map services and published
map files built for GIS software including:
- Dynamic
Data and Maps: GIS users can access "live" data and
maps, such as ArcIMS or WMS map services, using software
tools such as ArcGIS and ArcExplorer--Java Edition.
- Static Maps: You cannot directly
interact with static map images as you can with dynamic
data and maps. You can view them and download them to
your computer.
- Map
Files: Map files are digital maps that can be viewed
in a mapping application such as ArcReader or ArcMap.
Map files are typically completed maps that are ready
for viewing, publishing, and printing.
How can I publish content for other GIS
users?
Many GIS users regularly develop content
that is useful to others. This content may include GIS data
sets, static map images, map files, custom applications,
and more. Publishing
your content on the Geography Network Canada enables you to share
your content with the GIS community and beyond.
How will GIS users and others find my
content?
Content published through the Geography
Network may be discovered through the Geography Network Canada
Explorer as well as popular GIS data directories
such as the CGDI
Clearinghouse and GIS search tools such as ArcCatalog.
We encourage you to use the Geography Network Canada to share your
valuable content with others!
Tips for Publishers
Many GIS users regularly develop
content that is useful to others in the GIS community and
beyond such as GIS data sets, static map images, map files,
and custom applications. The Geography Network Canada enables you
to quickly publish this content so that others may discover
and use it.
Here are some basics about the Geography
Network to help in getting started.
Can I
publish content?
What kind of content can I publish?
How will GIS users and others find
my content?
Can I publish content?
If you have geographic content you
are interested in sharing with others, we invite you to
publish it through the Geography Network Canada so it can be discovered
and accessed by our users. Here's how.
- First, learn how easy publishing
content on the Geography Network Canada is.
- Then, register
to begin publishing within minutes.
What kind of content can I publish?
There are two ways to provide content
through the Geography Network.
- Publish map services using an
Internet mapping system that users can view online and/or
download.
- Publish links to geographic data
and maps that users can access and download from the Internet.
How will GIS users and others find my
content?
Content published through the Geography
Network may be discovered through the Geography Network Canada
Explorer as well as GIS search tools such as ArcCatalog.
We encourage you to use the Geography Network Canada to share your
valuable content with others!
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