Document, Index, Discover, Access Metadata Document, Index, Discover, Access Purdue University Libraries Amy Barton Assistant Professor of Library Science, Metadata Specialist

OBJECTIVES METADATA Understand what metadata is, and what it does Explain in the context of data, why metadata is important Understand the components of a metadata standard, and explain the benefits for using a standard Identify appropriate metadata standards and tools for your disciplinary metadata

What is metadata? Data about data Metadata is a means to document the context of a “thing.” A “thing” can be: An archeological artifact A published paper A photograph A dataset Context includes: Who What When Where Why How

PURR dataset Published dataset example What When Who Where Why

Controlled vocabulary Important for subject terms/key words indexed for discoverability The more specific, the better… What

Types of metadata Different types of metadata used in different contexts Descriptive metadata Administrative metadata Technical metadata Structural metadata Rights metadata Preservation metadata Typical representation Extensible Markup Language (XML) file Markup in bracketed elements, attributes and qualifiers Well-formed & validated

Types of metadata DATA DISCOVERABILITY, REUSE & VALIDATION Importance of descriptive metadata Descriptive Metadata = The Who, What, Where & Why Why is Descriptive Metadata important? DATA DISCOVERABILITY, REUSE & VALIDATION http://wokinfo.com/products_tools/multidisciplinary/dci/dci-vid2.html

Candy bar Exercise Candy bar Dataset Each group has a candy bar dataset. Based on what you have learned about descriptive metadata, describe your dataset. Think in terms of context: Who What When Where Why How Your group has ~10 minutes to record your metadata. Each group will then share with the class the group’s descriptive metadata.

Why use a metadata schema? Standards-based Best Practice = Use of a standardized, maintained metadata schema to document a “thing.” Benefits of using a standard schema: Rules for documenting and representing context Structure Interoperability e.g., Can be expressed in XML and programmatically parsed for use in other systems/applications Can be extended to fit with local needs Generic or discipline-specific Tools developed to support standards Deposit in repositories

What does a standard look like? Schema and documentation Example: Metadata Object Description Schema (MODS) Components: Metadata documentation – what are the elements and attributes User guide – how do I use the schema and implement Schema – rules, structure, representation, validation (XML,XSD)

Morpho tool brings it all together Metadata standard, controlled vocab (thesaurus), complete dataset description http://knb.ecoinformatics.org/morphoportal.jsp

Tool to find metadata standards Disciplinary metadata repository http://www.dcc.ac.uk/resources/metadata-standards

METADATA Questions for you Who can explain… What metadata is and what does it do? In the context of data, why is metadata important? What is a metadata standard, and what are some benefits for using a standard? I encourage you to explore the Disciplinary Metadata Repository or Google to find metadata standards & tools appropriate for your data, and to think through how best to describe your data for sharing, discovery, reuse and validation. Contact Information: Amy Barton, hatfiea@purdue.edu, (765) 494-6333, STEW 279