Managing metadata in Statistics Norway

Anne Gro Hustoft (agt@ssb.no)

Jenny Linnerud (jal@ssb.no)

Metadata strategy (2005-)

Strategy for managing metadata:

- Linking different metadata systems together in an integratedsystem, making metadata easily accessible for all users,updated in one place and used ”everywhere”.

Several measures aimed at improving management of metadata:

- Definition of key metadata concepts

- Metadata portal

- Definition of clear roles and responsibilities

Metadata portal

- The overall purpose of the metadata portal is to make Statistics Norway's metadata systems more accessible and easier to use

- The portal helps managers to follow up the coverage and quality of the contents of the underlying metadata systems.

Actions that promote metadata work:

-Making formal documents (e.g. Metadata strategy)

-Step-wise development of metadata systems

-Continuous follow-up of progress

-Releasing metadata on the Internet

Challenges:

- Allocating the necessary resources

- Harmonisation of metadata

- Including metadata in the production cycle

Intranet

• 20 additional status reports

• Search in 6 700 archive file descriptions– over 80 000 code lists

• 2 way navigation between variable definitions and archive file descriptions.

Intranet

• 20 additional status reports

• Search in 6 700 archive file descriptions– over 80 000 code lists

• 2 way navigation between variable definitions and archive file descriptions.