1. Metadata: first principles Pat Bell Knowledge, Analysis and Intelligence

2. Definition “Metadata is data about data … structured information about a resource”

3. Instances of metadata resource:book metadata:catalogue record

4. Instances of metadata resource:record metadata:corporate file plan

5. Instances of metadata resource:person metadata:directory entry

6. Instances of metadata resource:web page metadata:…

7. … (Right click on web page) …

8. … (Select view source) …

9. Instances of metadata resource:web page metadata:tags HM Revenue & Customs: Child Benefit & Guardian's Allowance

10. 1st principle one resource, one description The resource The metadata Title:Mona Lisa Title: Mona Lisa Creator: Da Vinci Creator: Bell Relation: (Very distant) Relation:

11. Uses of metadata today Resource discovery Resource administration Technical support search authentication navigation disposal version control filtering Intellectual property rights preservation

12. Uses of metadata tomorrow: the semantic web “An extension of the web … that will bring structure to the meaningful content of Web pages, creating an environment where software agents roaming from page to page can carry out sophisticated tasks for users” Tim Berners-Lee et al, Scientific American 17 May 2001

13. Uses of metadata building blocks for the semantic web Metadata … … expressed using the Resource Description Framework (RDF) … … in standardised XML (eXtensible Markup Language) documents. Find out more at the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C): www.w3.org/

14. Components of metadata statement

15. Components of metadata elements HM Revenue & Customs: Child Benefit & Guardian's Allowance

16. Components of metadata refinements (Qualifiers)

17. 2 nd principle dumb-down A valid value for a refinement must also be valid for the unrefined element date issued (2007-07-25) is fine for date  date updating frequency (monthly) is not

18. Components of metadata encoding schemes

19. Components of metadata encoding schemes Two sorts: Controlled vocabulary (Pick list) eg Library of Congress Subject Headings Syntax (Prescribed format) eg Date format yyyy-mm-dd (and you can have free text tags, likeTitle)

20. Components of metadata values

21. 3 rd principle appropriate values Develop policies to support local requirements But keep in mind wider needs The metadata can be used by people as well as machines

22. Summary Metadata is structured resource description A very abstract name for more concrete activities For resource discovery and administration, and technical support A building block of the semantic web Three principles: one to one, dumb-down and appropriate values Statements break down into elements, refinements, encoding schemes and values

23. The role of the information professional  Not tagging huge numbers of resources for someone else Part of implementing a system (website, EDRM…) Part of managing the system Expert and guardian of standards Guidance to the people who do the tagging