Download presentation
Presentation is loading. Please wait.
Published byAmie Wright Modified over 9 years ago
1
Metadata, vocabularies and licensing Managing research data in repositories workshop, 11 Nov 2015 Kathryn Unsworth
2
What I’ll cover today A little context What is metadata? ●Definitions ●Types of metadata You say, I say, we say – metadata huh?! Repository managers/staff helping researchers to: ●Improve their metadata for discovery/interoperability - a brief look at controlled vocabularies ●Improve their metadata for reuse - a brief look at licensing
3
Can’t be done without metadata!
4
Data without metadata is wasted effort! Copyrighted image – Wasting time - http://julettemillien.com/3-top- ways-we-waste-time-what-to-do-about-it/
5
What is metadata? Definitions, types of metadata and examples
6
Metadata is “structured data about data”. It typically provides detailed information about a specific data object or file. DATUM in Action https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/static/5007/ceispdf/metaguide.pdfhttps://www.northumbria.ac.uk/static/5007/ceispdf/metaguide.pdf What is metadata? “Metadata is structured information that describes, explains, locates, or otherwise makes it easier to retrieve, use, or manage an information resource. Metadata is often called data about data or information about information.” --National Information Standards Organisation (NISO) http://www.niso.org/publications/press/UnderstandingMetadata.pdf Metadata provides information enabling us to make sense of data (e.g. documents, images, datasets), concepts (e.g. classification schemes) and real-world entities (e.g. people, organisations, places). Open Data Support - https://joinup.ec.europa.eu/sites/default/files/d2.1.2_training_module_1.4_introduction_to_metadata_management_v1.00_ en_0.pdf https://joinup.ec.europa.eu/sites/default/files/d2.1.2_training_module_1.4_introduction_to_metadata_management_v1.00_ en_0.pdf
7
You say, I say, we say – are we talking about the same thing?
8
Labels in a spreadsheet; accompanying data dictionary Digital image attributes coming off photographic equipment: image size, color depth, image resolution, when the image was created, etc. ReadMe file accompanying software code File/Folder names Meta tags for web pages Meteorological measurements: location of readings (latitude, longitude, and height), instrumentation used to collect data, units, processing actions Metadata for research dataset records For example:
9
The metadata “accompanying your data set should be written for a user 20 years into the future. Therefore, you should consider what that investigator needs to know to use your data. Write the documentation for a user who is unfamiliar with your project, sites, methods, or observations.“ Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Distributed Active Archive CenterOak Ridge National Laboratory, Distributed Active Archive Center (2010) A message to your researchers: Cea+. (2012). Metadata is a love not to the future https://flic.kr/p/digHTN CC By 2.0 https://flic.kr/p/digHTN
10
Data without metadata is a missed opportunity! Quote by Thomas Edison “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” Assumed copyrighted image from: https://www.pinterest.com/melindagordon22 /citations-thomas-edison/
11
Common types of metadata: Descriptive metadata - describes a dataset for the purposes of discovery and identification Structural metadata – models content types and attributes (records, elements, attributes) and also indicates how a dataset may form part of a multi- layered and/or complex data object (data collection) Administrative metadata - provides information to help manage a dataset and ensure its authenticity (versions, ownership (IP), licensing)
12
Administrative metadata
13
Structural metadata {A} Repository managers have responsibility for some of the structural metadata that shapes their data collection records, i.e. what are the most appropriate elements/fields to include.
14
Structural metadata
15
Descriptive metadata
16
Data without metadata is only half the story! So why are we telling half the story? Assumed Copyrighted image from Google: https://www.google.com/search?q=telling+only+half+the+story+quotes&espv=2&biw=1 680&bih=921&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0CFgQ7AlqFQoTCICVz- 7zk8kCFeXfpgodVZUGlg&dpr=1#tbm=isch&q=telling+only+half+the+story&imgrc=Yn RV0S_VAPsZiM%3A
17
Aiding data discovery Raising a researcher’s profile
18
What is a controlled vocabulary? Using thesauri, taxonomies and standardised lists of terms for assigning values to metadata properties.
19
Vocabularies in everyday life
20
Aiding data reuse Vocabularies
21
Vocabularies & research
22
Vocabularies & data reuse {A} Data Data dictionary
23
Vocabularies & data linking {A}
24
ANDS Vocabulary Service - RVA
25
http://www.ands.org.au/ ANDS Vocabulary Service © Australian National Data Service 2015, is licenced under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) vocabs.ands.org.au RVA Documentation Home: https://documentation.ands.org.au/display/DOC/Research+Vocabularies Contact us to get started: services@ands.org.auservices@ands.org.au
26
Data reuse and the role of licensing
27
Aiding data reuse Making Ts & Cs around data reuse explicit
28
Rights and data reuse Front facing in RDA Registry view in RDA Recent Release 18 changes to RIF-CS vocabulary - definitions Open: Data is publicly accessible online Conditional: Data is publicly accessible online, subject to certain conditions. For example: an embargo period; a fee applies. Restricted: Data access is limited. For example: to a particular group of users; where formal permission is granted; the data may only be accessed at a specific physical location.
29
AusGOAL licensing framework AusGOALAusGOAL contains eight licensing options: Six Australian Creative Commons (CC) Version 4.0 licences Restrictive Licence Template (RLT) BSD 3-Clause Software Licence ANDS endorses AusGOAL Wide support by Federal and State Governments
31
Licensing and data NOT FOR DATA Slide is courtesy of Baden Appleyard – Director of AusGOAL
32
https://learn.canvas.net/courses/4/pages/compatibility-of-creative-commons-licenses?module_item_id=52575 Creative Commons Licenses compatibility
33
The Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research says "Researchers have a responsibility to their colleagues and the wider community to disseminate a full account of their research as broadly as possible". In terms of research data, the best way to achieve this objective is to license the data (using AusGOAL) and to place it in a publicly-accessible repository (along with appropriate metadata etc). If you don't license the data, no-one else can use it; it's that simple! A message for researchers ANDS - Copyright, data and licensing http://ands.org.au/guides/copyright-and-data-awareness.html
34
“Metadata has value for data users, data developers, and organizations. No dataset should be considered complete without accompanying metadata. Data without metadata is useless ”. Source: U.S. Geological Survey - Core Science Analytics and Synthesis – Metadata
35
Dublin Core Element Set - Emphasis on web resources, publications http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/ FGDC Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata (CSDGM) - Emphasis on geospatial data http://www.fgdc.gov/metadata/geospatial-metadata-standards ISO 19115/19139 Geographic information: Metadata - Emphasis on geospatial data and services http://www.fgdc.gov/metadata/geospatial-metadata- standards#fgdcendorsedisostandards Metadata Standards Examples
36
Metadata Standards Examples continued… Ecological Metadata Language (EML) - Focus on ecological data http://knb.ecoinformatics.org/eml_metadata_guide.html Darwin Core - Emphasis on museum specimens http://rs.tdwg.org/dwc/index.htm Geography Markup Language (GML) - Emphasis on geographic features (roads, highways, bridges) http://www.opengeospatial.org/standards/gml
37
In summary Well-managed, well-connected, discoverable and reusable data depend on metadata! Minimal metadata is acceptable for discovery, but can be useless for the reuse of data When talking with researchers and other data stakeholders, either be explicit about what metadata is in scope or better still refer to it in another way Controlled vocabs are highly useful for data discovery, interoperability, and reuse – check out RVA Data without an appropriate license is essentially a reuse nightmare
38
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia License ANDS is supported by the Australian Government through the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS).
Similar presentations
© 2025 SlidePlayer.com. Inc.
All rights reserved.