From Ocean Teacher Library
MetadataContents |
Introduction
To facilitate access to ocean data and information, it is important to consistently describe and classify data through the implementation of metadata schemes. Metadata is structured information that describes information or services. The information recorded in the metadata enables people and applications to find, manage, control, understand and preserve their data assets.[1]
Metadata is an important component of any ocean data resource. Metadata describes “who, what, where, when, why, and how” about the data and can answers a wide range of questions about the dataset, such as:
- Who created and maintains the data?
- What is the content of the data?
- Where is the geographic location?
- Where is the data stored?
- When was the data collected?
- How was it produced?
- How can it be accessed?
- What data quality can you expect?
Metadata provides many benfits to both the data producer and the data user. Metadata helps people to locate data and services, mainly through the use metadata catalogues available on the internet. Metadata can provide information that will assist in determining the suitability of data. Organizations can also benfit from metadata. The use of metadata within an organization is part of overall sound data management practices. It also provides a permanent inventory of data assets and services and can be used to manage an organization's investment in its data assets.Accessible metadata can reduce the administrative costs associated with responding to enquiries about data.
The concept of metadata is not new – a Library catalogue contains metadata about the books held in the Library. Creating metadata is similar to library cataloguing, except the metadata creator needs to understand the scientific information behind the data in order to properly document the datasets. Most ocean data has a spatial component, that is a geographic location, and spatial metadata standards are used to describes spatial datasets in order to provide a consistent approach to the storage and retrieval of spatial data.
References
Additional Resources
- Marine Metadata Interoperability (MMI) Metadata Guides
- Standards
- Dictionaries & Ontologies
- Case Studies
- Understanding Metadata - National Information Standards Organization, (NISO) (2004). A general introduction to metadata that includes examples of practical applications.
- Introduction to Metadata - An online Getty Foundation publication devoted to metadata
Subsections of this Article
| Pagename | Short title | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Creating Metadata | Creating Metadata | Creating Metadata | The creation and maintenance of metadata is an integral part of ocean data management. Creating and maintaining metadata consistent with defined standards is essential to ensure interoperability with other metadata systems. |
| Marine Domain Ontologies | Marine Domain Ontologies | Ontologies | none |
| Metadata Overview | Metadata Overview | Metadata Overview | General overview of metadata, how metadata is used and the different types of metadata |
| Metadata Standards | Metadata Standards | Metadata Standards | A metadata standard is a common set of terms and definitions that describe data. |
| Taxonomies and Typologies of Marine Concepts | Taxonomies and Typologies of Marine Concepts | Taxonomies and Typologies | none |
Information about this article
Short title: Metadata
Description: Introduction to metadata for ocean data managers
Expertise level: beginner
Author: Greg Reed
Approval status: approved
Approved by: noone
Last change: 2010-7-8
Subsection of: Marine Data Infrastructure, Information Technology and Scientific Communications
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