Metadata @ Melbourne

What is Metadata?

"Metadata is commonly defined as "data about data". More generally, metadata is information about a resource, either physical or digital. [In this site] metadata refers to information about resources used in the context of learning, education and training. Metadata often consists of characteristics and properties of a resource such as title and author. Metadata may include objective information such as the size of a file, classifications such as the subject or topic, and assertions such as the appropriate audience for the resource. Metadata appears in many forms. It can be presented as part of a resource, such as the title on a book, or be stored in a separate file."
[CETIS FAQ]

OR

"Metadata is the generic name for the classification of digital and physical objects in machine and human readable formats.
Metadata has its name because it describes data that is nowadays known as resources. Some metadata is structured and comprehensive, like library catalogue records, and some is very light-weight like simple keyword tags. Metadata is used as a handle to manage data by reference to the data. Metadata is used to indicate the location, identity, form, type, subject of data; to describe its source and authority and relationship to other data; to define who has rights to it, and more. Machines use metadata in processes such as discovery, selection, delivery, organization, authentication of resources. The quality of metadata may determine its utility; if the metadata descriptions are in a standard form, and that form is well-defined and available for all to see (including machines), it is more likely that the metadata can be shared and swapped reliably."
[Liddy Nevile]

Why is it important?

At the most basic level it allows a searcher (person or machine) to more easily and accurately find stuff. Using library jargon, metadata increases the relevance (the degree to which a list of retrieved results match the request terms) of returned stuff over pure recall (retrieval of information, usually results, from a database and usually in no particular order).

Metadata while enhancing resource discovery: Find, Identify, Select, Obtain [FRBR user task] also allows other information to be utilized. It can aid in the preservation of digital resources for example by allowing computers to automatically search on a given parameter and alerting the resource manager that the object may need review or should be archived to a offline storage medium.

Lorcan Dempsey sums it up best: "Metadata is useful because it relieves a potential user (person or program) of having to have full advance knowledge of the characteristics or existence of a resource. In other words, metadata provides 'intelligence' which supports more efficient operations on resources. Examples of operations are discovery, preservation, purchase, reformatting, embedding, analysis, extraction of components, and so on."

Another use not mentioned above is for the recording of intellectual rights. This may consist of stating which Creative Commons licence terms an object can be used under. It may of course state more restrictive conditions.

This site

If you have any questions regarding metadata please contact the Metadata Coordinator or the Manager, Information Planning and Architecture