Introduction to Metadata: Describing datasets CQU Librarians workshop, 11 February 2015 Kathryn Unsworth - Data Librarian This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License

2 Refer to image called “Metadata simply explained”

3 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… Photo by Michelle Chang. All Rights Reserved DataOne Education Modules (No.7 Metadata - 4

5 Basics of metadata

6 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

7 1. Enable a (re)user to find a dataset of which either (A) the data creator (B) the title of the dataset (C) the subject is known 2. To show what is available (D) by a given data creator (E) on a given subject (F) in a given format/data type 3. To assist in the choice of a dataset (G) as to temporal and/or spatial coverage (when and where) (H) as to its authority and access (associated publications, access rights) Keep the (re)user in mind when describing datasets Based on a customised version of Cutter’s cataloguing objects and the FISO user tasks model Find Identify Select Obtain Recent changes to RIF- CS now include: access descriptions – open, conditional, restricted

8 Descriptive metadata (intellectual content) Administrative metadata (rights, technical, preservation) Structural metadata (relationship between the parts) Discovery/access points

Data producers Data (re)users Metadata helps… Organisations The value of metadata

provide  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? receive  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 10

11 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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13 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

14 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 data 3.Institutional reputation and memory

15 Timelapse: What is metadata?

16 Acknowledgements DataONE Education Module: Metadata. DataONE. Retrieved Nov12, From Geek & Poke. (2015). Simply explained: Metadata. Whats-Metadata.htm Whats-Metadata.htm meta|morphosis: film-to-digital tutorials. (2012). basics of metadata. Toroisebutler. (2010). Timelapse: What is metadata?

17 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).