Introduction to Metadata: Describing datasets

CQU Librarians workshop, 11 February 2015Kathryn Unsworth - Data Librarian

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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

12http://researchdata.ands.org.au

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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).