Metadata
Documenting your data
Órna Roche
UCD James Joyce Library
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sarahseverson/
An Leabharlann UCD
Metadata definition
Metadata is...
data about data
structured information that describes,
explains, locates, or otherwise makes it
easier to retrieve, use, or manage an
information resource
Understanding metadata, NISO, 2004
Metadata can be...
• Human readable
• Processed by machines
• Interoperable – enables information to be
shared across systems
• At different levels – overall project metadata
and metadata for individual datasets
Types of metadata
• Descriptive
• Structural
• Administrative
– Rights management metadata
– Preservation metadata
Everyday metadata examples
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dokas/
Metadata answers basic questions about data
• Who created and maintains the data? Who
can access it?
• Why was the data created?
• What is the content and structure of the
data? What changes have been made to it?
• When collected? When published?
• Where is the geographic location? Where is
the data held?
• How was the data produced?
Metadata answers basic questions about data
Reading no: Temperature:
1
28
2
21
3
19
Discovery
Usability
Preservation
Interpretation
“Bad”
metadata
can affect
data...
Management
Citation
Validity
Metadata standards
• Designed for a specific purpose
• Can be discipline or format specific
• Created and managed by expert groups
• Internationally recognised or certified
• Ensure consistent metadata creation
• Enable interoperability & reuse of data
• Can be simple or very complex
• User communities are a source of information
Dublin Core
• A general purpose scheme for describing a
variety of resources
• The most commonly used metadata standard
• Used as a base for other standards or profiles
• Consists of 15 core elements:
Title
Contributor
Creator
Subject
Description
Publisher
Date
Type
Identifier
Language
Relation
Rights
Source
Coverage
Format
Dublin Core example
<title>Relational database containing a selection from the Irish Dialect
Archive</title>
<contributor>De Bhaldraithe, Tomás, 1916-1996</contributor>
<contributor>Laighléis, Tomás</contributor>
<subject>Translating and interpreting -- Ireland</subject>
<subject>Lexicography</subject>
<subject>Irish language -- Databases</ubject>
<description>Tables are related through the "CartlannID" values. Data is held
in both XML format and comma delimited text files (.csv). Character
encoding is Unicode (UTF-8)<description>
<publisher>University College, Dublin. Dept. of Modern Irish</publisher>
<type>software, multimedia</type>
<identifier>http://hdl.handle.net/10151/OB_5000001_DA</identifier>
<language>Irish</language>
<language>eng</language>
<relation>isMemberOf: Irish Dialect Archive - Card Catalogue
http://hdl.handle.net/10151/EAD_0000011_DA]</relation>
<coverage>Ireland</coverage>
Some other standards to be aware of
Data documentation Initiative (DDI)
– for describing data from the
social, behavioral, and economic sciences
ISO 19115/19119
– for describing geographical information
and associated services
– INSPIRE for spatial information in the EU,
based on ISO 19115
Ecological Metadata Language (EML)
– developed by and for the ecology discipline
Considerations for choosing a standard
• The discipline, domain
• The format of the data
• Repository or funder requirements
• Recognition and/or certification of standard
• Controlled vocabularies, thesauri, and
authorities
• Available metadata tools
• Skills required and time available
A quick word about mapping
• One size does not fit all!
• Can transform one metadata schema to
another using mappings
• Many standards map to/from Dublin Core
• Mappings to other standards can be available
• Some software will export metadata in a
variety of standards
• Beware of potential for mistranslation and
issues with granularity
General things to consider
• Plan and document your metadata approach
• Consider overall project metadata and individual
dataset metadata
• Think about where the metadata will be stored
• What tools can you use for managing the
metadata
• Decide who will create the metadata and how
• Also who will maintain the metadata in the future
• Determine file formats & file naming procedures
• Don’t reinvent the wheel!
Useful links
Niso Press, Understanding Metadata, 2004
http://www.niso.org/standards/resources/UnderstandingMetadata.pdf
UK Data Archive documentation resources
http://www.data-archive.ac.uk/create-manage/document/resources
DCC standards watch
http://www.dcc.ac.uk/resources/briefing-papers/standards-watchpapers
Dublin Core metadata basics
http://dublincore.org/metadata-basics/