Using digital spatial archives effectively

The size and complexity of modern geographical datasets continues to grow and with that growth comes an increased difficulty in assessing the usefulness of a particular dataset for a particular problem. The task of browsing through a large database is rapidly becoming impractical because of the shear volume of the data, therefore, the information potential of the database is lost because the scope of the database is beyond comprehension. This article promotes new methodologies beyond the use of descriptive metadata to support a user's desire to find a dataset suitable for his or her analysis.