Resolving Challenges in Metadata Management: A User-Centered Manifesto Carol A. Hert PNCASIST May 15, 2004

The Challenges Plethora of potential metadata/uncertain utility of some Cost of creating or harvesting, maintaining metadata and metadata systems Organizations struggling with lack of coordination among metadata systems, approaches, metadata elements Determining metadata managements value to the organization

The Manifesto User-centered approaches can (and should) play an important role in meeting the challenges. By Reducing expert bias Providing understanding of metadata use in context Providing user-oriented value propositions and evaluation metrics

User-centered approaches A user-centered approach focuses on users/creators; their perceptions, cognitions, actions; and interactions with systems In contrast to a system-centered approach that is expert-driven, focused on system requirements Driven by users realities not expert perceptions of those realities

In Metadata arena, User- centered approaches: Reveal the context of use leading to identification of relevant metadata And aspects of that metadata Identification of priorities for metadata Constraints and opportunities for metadata system use Identify values of metadata to users Facilitate user buy-in in metadata system design and implementation

Some examples Metadata relevance judging (or task) studies What existing metadata is used, why? Is some necessary metadata missing? Ethnography How people create, use, store metadata to inform design of systems Reverse engineering metadata needs Usability studies Interviews, focus groups Participatory Design

Evaluation Metrics User-centered approaches can identify relationship of metadata use to other work activities Metrics of time/resource savings due to metadata availability Identify user values upon which metrics can be built Better communication Able to respond to change rapidly Highlight relationships to other business cases in play

Conclusion Know thy stakeholders/users when designing metadata systems User-centered methodologies can provide critical information about users and metadata usage