Post on 14-Dec-2015
Introduction to Metadata: Describing datasets
CQU Librarians workshop, 11 February 2015Kathryn Unsworth - Data Librarian
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
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http://www.datamation.com/cnews/article.php/3878261/Tech-Comics-Whats-Metadata.htm
Refer to image called “Metadata simply explained”
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What is metadata?Metadata is a means of collecting or structuring data about the content of other data
Example: catalogue record
Metadata is data ‘reporting’
▪ WHO created the data?▪ WHAT is the content of the data?▪ WHEN were the data created?▪ WHERE is it geographically?▪ HOW were the data developed?▪ WHY were the data developed?
What is Metadata? continued…
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DataOne Education Modules (No.7 Metadata - https://www.dataone.org/education-modules4
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Basics of metadata
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0vc6LeVa14
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Describing publications is easy, but data….?
Research data varies widely between and within disciplines:
▪ Methods of data collection
▪ Number, type and size of data files
▪ Electronic/physical resources or combinations of
▪ Software/hardware dependencies
▪ Contextual information
▪ Legal restrictions
▪ Ethical restrictions
▪ Access restrictions
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Descriptive metadata (intellectual content) Administrative metadata (rights, technical, preservation)
Structural metadata (relationship between the parts)
Discovery/access points
Data producers
Data(re)users
Metadatahelps…
Organisations
The value of metadata
When data producers provide data to other researchers, what types of information would they want to include with the data to ensure appropriate interpretations of their research?
When data re-users receive a dataset from an external source, what types of details would they want to know about the data?
Data producers and data (re)users
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Metadata standards – why we need them
▪ A standard provides us with a common way of describing information resources: Common terms to allow consistency between
records
Common definitions for easier interpretation
Common language for ease of communication
Common structure to quickly locate information
To facilitate exchange of data between systems – interoperability
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Metadata pathways to RDA
Create records manually in the ANDS Registry
Create automatic RIF-CS feed for harvesting by ANDS into RDA
Configure your harvest for schema that is not RIF-CS, eg.CKAN, ISO19115
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My pick: Top three take-away messages
1. Metadata is data ‘reporting’
2. Describing data is not as straightforward as describing traditional research outputs, that’s why schema standards are so critical
3. Metadata is important to data producers, data re-users and organisations
1. Visibility and impact of the data (citable)2. Discovery/findability and evaluation of the data3. Institutional reputation and memory
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Timelapse: What is metadata?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulArB9DAnW4
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Acknowledgements
DataONE Education Module: Metadata. DataONE. Retrieved Nov12, 2012. From http://www.dataone.org/sites/all/documents/L07_Metadata.pptx
Geek & Poke. (2015). Simply explained: Metadata. http://www.datamation.com/cnews/article.php/3878261/Tech-Comics-Whats-Metadata.htm
meta|morphosis: film-to-digital tutorials. (2012). basics of metadata. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0vc6LeVa14
Toroisebutler. (2010). Timelapse: What is metadata?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulArB9DAnW4
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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).