4. task 3: Storing the data and maintaining the records

Approved names must be stored together with attribute information:

• On cards, or in toponymic data base, or GIS?

• Perhaps creating data base from existing cards?

• Must consider fields of data, and how structured

• Fields will vary from country to country - but some are “core” (“top ten”)

 

Data fields (elements)

• Toponym .... spelling, hyphens, etc.

• natural order .... as on maps, texts:

Rio Tejo

Rio Parana

Rio de Janeiro

• inverted order:

  Tejo, Rio

  Parana, Rio 

  Rio de Janeiro (not a river but a city)

• Feature type (river/cape/island/town/etc.)

• Administrative unit

• first level (state/province/county)

• second level

• Geographical coordinates

• What to record?

- latitude

- longitude

- height

• How to select coordinates? (of object or of name?)

• Location narrative

"Situated in Naranja province 20 km SE of capital ... "

• Map sheet references: Sheet 28 K Series D 403

• Variant names (also minority names, popular names, abbreviated names)

• Status of name (approved, not approved, pending)

• Date of approval of name (by names board)

• Record identifier

• Other fields? Population number, size, historical information, etc

9 Mln, 200 km², Sunda Kelapa in the 12th century, Jayakarta from 1450 onwards, 1617 Batavia, 1949 Djakarta, 1960 Jakarta

 

Datafiche, IGN France

Example of name record from IGN, France

 

Name history of all objects will be noted

• Unnecessary name changes should be avoided

• Names should be spelled as much as possible in accordance with orthographic practice

• No significant name elements should be suppressed

• Only one name should be selected as the official one

 

Storing the data and maintaining the records

• Responsibility for updating fields

• Following ISO standards as mucs as possible

• There sould be a description of the records manual in which it is shown how it is operated

• Necessary to show feature extents in graphic form