1. Documentation of statistics Metadata

2. We and our users get lost without metadata
Why metadata?
I work in dissemination – Metadata sounds boring and / or as a job for librarians:
Necessary to explain the origin and meaning of data
Supports “findability”
Navigation
Search engines
We and our users get lost without metadata

3. Metadata is everywhere in the Generic Statistical Business Process Model
Source:UNECE Secretariat - April 2009

4. A never ending demand Annual Danish user surveys since 2001
Every year users have placed more / better documentation as their number 1 priority
A number of improvements
No effect what so ever
Documentation is mainly about metadata

5. Why we can’t live without metadata

6. May (different )ways of looking at metadata
Let’s focus on those relevant to dissemination
Purpose:
Descriptive – to explain meaning of data
‘Findability’ – Navigation & search engines
Data related
Variable related
Publication related

7. Data related / reference metadata
Description of source of data
Methodology used to produce data
Status of data (provisional / revised / etc.)
Implemented as:
Quality declarations
Footnotes attached to cells / tables
Based on:Edwin de Jonge (CBS)

8. Quality declarations – reference metadata
Administrative info
Contents
Time
Accuracy
Comparability
Accessibility

9. Quality declarations – Reference metadata
Source:

10. Footnote attached to table

11. Variable related metadata
Name and description of variable
Aggregation method used
Unit (1,000, euro, kg, etc.)
Name and description of classification
Name and description of classification items (categories)
Variable related metadata is partly descriptive but names are also important for ‘findability’
Based on:Edwin de Jonge (CBS)

12. ©Statistics Denmark©Statistics Denmark
OECD example i
©Statistics Denmark©Statistics Denmark

13. ©Statistics Denmark©Statistics Denmark
Eurostat Example
©Statistics Denmark©Statistics Denmark

14. Metadata is readily available and useable in context of client's information need
What is a projection?
What is the difference between immigranta and descendants?
Which countries are Western?
©Statistics Denmark

15. Presenting metadata –selective needs
Ancestry
click!

16. Metadata on variabel - civilstatus

17. Publication metadata Metadata related to publishing Release calendars
Also for search engines
Dublin Core
Standard for document metadata on the Internet
Hidden metadata information supporting search engines

18. Publication metadata –release calendars

19. Publication metadata –release calendars
Contact information
Links to metadata
Other publications

20. Publication metadata –release calendars

21. Publication metadata
Many publication metadata are Dublin Core (dc) related- and supports search engines:
Title (dc)
Spatial (dc)
Author (dc)
Temporal (dc) – reporting period
Created (dc)
Subject (dc)
Modified (dc)
Frequency
Source (dc)
Laguage
Description (dc)
Subject Area
Summary (dc)
Statistical theme
Published (dc)

22. Dublin core supporting search

23. Terminology / linguistics Coherence
Metadata challenges
Terminology / linguistics
Coherence
Output databases / changes over time
Audience / Target groups

24. Terminology –What are our users talking about?
Statistical terms:
CPI
Employed
Salary
Income
Household
Family
Layman terms:
Inflation
Working
Income/Salary
Family

25. Dissemination metadata issues - Linguistics
‘Findability’:
Users uses synonyms /hyponym to find data and finds nothing
Synonym: Job <> occupation, business vs enterprises
Hyper/hyponym: vehicles <> car <> SUV
Musical instrument" is a hypernym of "guitar" because musical instruments include guitars

26. Metadata should ensure coherence in contents
same definitions, aggregations and classifications must be used across all subject areas and media
should build on international recognized nomenclatures
data sources must be technically coordinated
=>Statisticians <> Dissemination

27. Inconsistent tables - Motorbike owner Car owner 18 – 25 A 26 – 45 B
> 46 C
18 – 29 D
30 – 41 E
41+ F
When creating tables / compiling statistics detailed attention should be given to the harmonization of variable values even across different subject areas. Otherwise you will end up being inconsistent both across time and across subject areas.
In the example above we have to different variables Car owner and motorbike own distributed by age. Even if the data is coming from different surveys and that it is there for not possible to make cross tabulations of Motorbike and Car owner it is still much better dissemination to usage the same age groupings across all tables compiled by your organization. This is of cause in real life a nearly impossible task.
1/17/2019

28. Consistent structural metadata in the Danish model
Centralized
variables
values
unit
”by”/”and”
time
template for quality declaration
Decentralized
contents
footnote
contact person
quality declaration
Decentralized metadata is highly standardized through templates, guides and editorial overview

29. Time dependency – output databases
Definitions of variables may change
All most all cubes have a time dimension
If a measure changes
A new measure is added
If a dimension changes
New categories are added
Change in dimension depends on selection in time dimension
-> Many empty cells – (region)

30. Metadata play a role when the users
Metadata …. for what?
Metadata play a role when the users
browse
search
select
comprehend
compare

31. Metadata – for whom? Staff Users, internal/external
database administrators
statisticians
developers
managers
Users, internal/external
news media
international organisations
researchers
occasional users

32. Documentation – metadata principles*
ensure customers are identified for all metadata processes
make metadata 'active' to greatest extent possible - also to Google (*)single
authoritative source - 'registration authority‘
reuse metadata
metadata is readily available and useable in context of client's information need
(*)

33. And now back to work …. card sorting