Ecological Metadata Language (EML) Specification

Official specification for the Ecological Metadata Language (EML) version 2.2.0, a comprehensive XML vocabulary designed specifically for documenting ecological and environmental research data. EML provides structured modules for dataset identification (title, abstract, keywords), responsible parties (creator, contact, associated parties), coverage description (geographic bounding box, temporal range, taxonomic coverage), methods documentation (sampling description, quality assurance steps), and project information (funding, personnel). Used by the GBIF IPT to generate dataset-level metadata within Darwin Core Archives. The IPT provides a guided form that maps to EML elements, making metadata creation accessible to non-technical users. Essential for documenting freshwater biodiversity datasets with sufficient context for discovery, citation, and reuse.