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Metadata:

What is it? Well, metadata is simply just "data about data". However its use is not so succinct. It can be as simple as just a few keywords attached to a file or as complex as scientific calculations bundled with a digital object. Metadata has been the subject of numerous articles and books and it is the foundation of information retrieval. Therefore this serves as only a brief introductory to metadata from the context of digital archives, the arts (graphic, multimedia and interactive) and museums.

Generally, metadata helps users find documents and objects. It is a descriptive way to tag, categorize, organize and access objects, entities and resources. Metadata is also used to help organizations, institutions, and enterprises standardize their data, thus making resource data consistent and easy to locate.

Metadata makes use of various descriptive schemas, there are many to choose from and the selection of a schema depends upon the entities being described. Some examples are: Dublin Core (which is considered to be the skeletal structure behind many other schemas), CDWA, EAD, CCO and VRA core. Dublin core has 15 main elements which are: Title, Creator, Subject, Description, Publisher, Contributor, Date, Type, Format, Identifier, Source, Language, Relation, Coverage, Rights.

There are also different types of metadata:

  • Administrative - location, rights, acquisition info
  • Descriptive - keywords, subjects, finding aids, annotations by users, cataloging records
  • Preservation - physical condition documentation, preservation activities
  • Technical - digitization information (i.e. formats, modes, resolution), hardware and software specs
  • Use related - use tracking, exhibition records

Along with metadata there is it's use of markup technologies such as HTML, XML and SGML. "Metadata describes characteristics about the data, while the markup identifies the specific type of data content and acts as a container for that document instance" (Wikipedia). This syntax or markup allows metadata to be read consistently by computer systems. This allows for more consistent sharing of data across networks and repositories.

Descriptive standards such as controlled vocabularies, taxonomies, folksonomies and thesauri also work hand in hand with metadata. They are the backbone of the content that is created about the object. Controlled vocabularies are generally a list of specified terms to be used in specific cases. For example using the term "employees" instead of "staff" to describe people in a photograph as the word "staff" can have several meanings. Taxonomy is a very broad term but specifically here it is a "subject-based classification that arranges the terms in the controlled vocabulary into a hierarchy" (Garshol). Thesauri and also help contain and control the vocabulary used to describe objects examples are the TGM I & II.

It is almost impossible to explain metadata in such few paragraphs. Metadata is really dependent upon what is being described for how it is to be created, used and handled. It has expandable depth, but it can also be very limited as in the 15 Dublin Core elements. As a digital archivist you get decide what's best in terms of descriptive methods for your collections. With your knowledge as a digital archivist you make interoperability between collections possible and also make collections more accessible to users. You create cleaner workflows and allow enterprises to function more efficiently. When access to information is made easier, creativity can flow more freely and innovation reigns.

Object Record Examples: