> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://tpatterson.gitbook.io/sametadatacreationguide/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://tpatterson.gitbook.io/sametadatacreationguide/project-entry-guidance/record-main-copy.md).

# Main Tab: Project

The **Main** tab allows for the creation and/or editing of primary metadata.

| Quick Reference: Project Main Tab                                        | Required? |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------ | --------- |
| Basic Information: Title, Status                                         | Required  |
| Resource Type                                                            | Required  |
| Point of Contact                                                         | Required  |
| Citation: Title, Dates, Responsible Parties, Online Resource, Identifier | Required  |
| Description: Abstract                                                    | Required  |
| Time Period                                                              | Required  |

## Basic Information

### Record ID

Record ID will be auto-generated. It can be edited but it should only be edited if absolutely necessary (and ideally edited as soon as the record is created in mdEditor).

### Title

Enter a concise, yet informative title. Good titles, when they appear in a search, will be understood and traceable.

### Status

The **Status** drop-down menu allows you to select the status of your project. Choose status ONLY from the four following options: *completed, ongoing, proposed, or accepted.*

![](https://781291346-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-MW-Wv1z7-vUYrz5cHwE%2Fsync%2F283b1348ed97473e6500636fae739e056eaf1e03.png?generation=1615990407108649\&alt=media)

## Default Locale

**Default Locale** allows for the selection of **Language**, **Character Set**, and **Country**. English, UTF-8, and USA will be selected by default, but you may change them if necessary.  See [Settings](/sametadatacreationguide/settings.md) for instruction. 

![](https://781291346-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-MW-Wv1z7-vUYrz5cHwE%2Fsync%2Fd45368623ad7953876811c8eabed25c0651bc78d.png?generation=1615990407232999\&alt=media)

## Resource Types

For projects, the Resource Type should be automatically filled in with the resource type you selected when you created your record. This should be "project" for all SA projects. Name is optional - you can leave this blank or enter a shorten project name.

![](https://781291346-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-MW-Wv1z7-vUYrz5cHwE%2Fsync%2Fbf873a92aeb43157cfc9a18ac5f1f174c37ce8be.png?generation=1615990406409618\&alt=media)

## Point of Contacts

Adding a point of contact gives users information on who to contact should they have a question regarding your project or product.

{% hint style="info" %}
To add contacts to a metadata record, you must first create/upload the contacts into mdEditor. See the [Contact](https://github.com/tpatterson1996/lcc-metadata-manual/tree/287090b07635d0e76a714278ce1f6c4aac3594cc/product-entry-guidance/contact-entry-guidance.md) Section for more information.
{% endhint %}

| Role                  | Contact                                          | Required?               |
| --------------------- | ------------------------------------------------ | ----------------------- |
| pointOfContact        | FWS Science Applications National Data Steward   | Required                |
| pointOfContact        | Data Steward                                     | Required                |
| principalInvestigator | The Project PI and/or producer                   | Required, if applicable |
| custodian             | Data Custodian                                   | Required, if applicable |
| owner                 | Data Trustee                                     | Required                |
| administrator         | Project officer, if not the steward              | Required                |
| administrator         | FWS Region (legacy and DOI Unified), FWS Program | Required                |
| collaborator          | partnership organizations and/or programs        | Required, if applicable |

![Example Points of Contact Entry in mdEditor](https://781291346-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-MW-Wv1z7-vUYrz5cHwE%2F-MaUkpWRtmZIcwgpZi_C%2F-MaVBrWdpgMJ2h65Btkz%2Fimage.png?alt=media\&token=2b0c7539-7d47-4d86-9af9-cdff85e9d9e5)

{% hint style="info" %}
The FWS Science Applications National Data Steward will serve as the long term contact/backup. This way, users have a point-of-contact even if there is a positional change within an organization. Regional Data Steward should be included in addition as a point of contact if available.
{% endhint %}

## Citation

The **Citation** describes pertinent information about your project such as: responsible parties, internal and ScienceBase identifiers, and any online resources that may relate to your item. The citation much like a peer-reviewed publication citation, provides credit and services as a reference citation. Adding information in the citation will also improve users' ability to find your items.

### Citation Required Fields

#### Title

The citation title is automatically populated with the title of your record.

#### Alternate Title

You can add an alternate title if desired - generally these should be shorter than the full Title.

#### Dates

Enter *acquisition, creation, updated, revision* from the picklist and then enter the date.  At least one date of these date types is required.

#### Responsible Parties

Responsible parties must include the principal investigator of the project, but may optionally include other responsible parties such as funders (your region and program), partners, collaborators, and contributors. Collaborators could be intellectual participants while contributors could be intellectual and financial participants.

{% hint style="info" %}
To add contacts to a metadata record, you must first create/upload the contacts in mdEditor. See the [Contacts](/sametadatacreationguide/contacts.md) section for more information.
{% endhint %}

| Role                    | Contact          | Required?               |
| ----------------------- | ---------------- | ----------------------- |
| principalInvestigator   | The Project PI   | Required                |
| coPrincipalInvestigator | co investigators | Required, if applicable |

#### Online Resource

Enter the Name and URL for the project homepage website, if available.

#### Identifier

You may enter as many identifiers as desired. The identifier for the repository is required here. If you have other internal IDs for projects, enter them here. Other optional identifiers for projects include: [Archive](/sametadatacreationguide/archiving.md) Folder Name. 

{% hint style="info" %}
**Best Practice**: Create and use internal identifiers that are unique within your region or program for projects and their products. Example: GNLCC2010-11.
{% endhint %}

{% hint style="info" %}
If your item does not have a ScienceBase ID yet, ScienceBase will create one automatically upon publishing. If you imported your item from ScienceBase originally, then the SBID will already be included in Metadata/Metadata Identifier and you do not need to include it here. Note that if you edit an item that is already on ScienceBase without using its existing ID, a duplicate item will be created on ScienceBase. Consult the [Publish](/sametadatacreationguide/publish.md) section of this manual to learn more.
{% endhint %}

![Example Citation in mdEditor](https://781291346-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-MW-Wv1z7-vUYrz5cHwE%2F-M_aSk2dJFaqiykbyAS8%2F-M_aV7pBEA0IURL0s4aC%2Fimage.png?alt=media\&token=5a41905d-ec91-4464-8681-79d2c7adb4b4)

## Description

**Description** allows for the addition of the **Abstract** as well as a Short Abstract, and Supplemental Information.

### Abstract

Enter an abstract that succinctly describes the project's purpose and goals. Include key species or habitats as well.

{% hint style="info" %}
Tip: Write your project abstract in the present tense if the project is in progress and past tense if the project has been completed.
{% endhint %}

### Short Abstract

Enter a short description, limited to 300 characters, if desired. By default, mdEditor will fill the short abstract with the first 300 characters of the abstract.  Best practice is a public outreach abstract for pubic affairs purposes.

### Purpose

Enter a short narrative about the purpose of the resource such as the issue or problem that the resource is designed to address and anticipated results or benefits.  This aligns with SA Internal Tracking metadata.

### Supplemental Information

Enter comments, if desired.

![Example Abstract entry in mdEditor](https://781291346-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-MW-Wv1z7-vUYrz5cHwE%2Fsync%2F6da20ed788c6483f477dde508cbae1e987e0c276.png?generation=1615990406938245\&alt=media)

## Time Period

**Time Period** refers to project start and end date.

{% hint style="info" %}
This set of dates is distinct from the fiscal year of funding. Here you want to indicate the overall project start and end dates. In the Funding section you will specify the fiscal years that funds were allocated.
{% endhint %}

For each project, add a Start Date and End Date. If the project spanned a single fiscal year, you can use the “Pick a Fiscal Year” dropdown to autofill the date fields.

![Example Project Start and End Dates entry in mdEditor](https://781291346-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-MW-Wv1z7-vUYrz5cHwE%2Fsync%2F3d86d7f617425007947c5784a7dff2daf43813c8.PNG?generation=1615990408065960\&alt=media)