Real-World Data Governance: Metadata to Empower Data Stewards - Introducing the Idea of the OMS
Introducing metadata Finding stuff and using stuff
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Introducing metadataFinding stuff and using stuff
Gordon Dunsire
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Overview
• What is metadata?
• What does it look like?
• What is it used for?
• How does it work?
• Where will it all end?
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Definition?
• “Data about data”
• Information about information
• Information about an information resource
• Useful information about a resource
• Useful information about specific aspects of a resource
• Whatever, there’s a lot of it about
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Example: URL
http://www.slainte.org.uk/files/pdf/cilips/foisa04.pdf
Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002: a guide for the information professional
“http” = how to get the document (protocol)
“www.slainte.org.uk” = where to find the document in cyberspace (domain)
“files/pdf/cilips” = where the document is stored (path)
“foisa04” = the name of the document (file name)
“pdf” = the type of document (file type)
“:”, “/”, “.” = standard punctuation separating each piece of information (element)
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Example: Catalogue cardThe adventures of Sherlock Holmes / by A. Conan Doyle ; illustrations by Sidney Paget. - London : G. Newnes, 1895.
“The adventures of Sherlock Holms” = title of the book
“by A. Conan Doyle; illustrations by Sidney Paget” = who is responsible for the creative content of the book
“London” = place of publication, “G. Newnes” = name of publisher
“1895” = date of publication
“/”, “.”, “-”, “:” = standard punctuation separating each element
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Example: Accessions/purchase register
Date |Title |Date|Sup|Price|Number
10/02/65|Physics is fun |1964|THI| 7/6| 20156
10/02/65|Physics is fun |1964|THI| 7/6| 20157
10/02/65|Berkeley physics v.1 |1964|FAR|3/9/6| 20158
10/02/65|Berkeley physics v.2 |1964|FAR|2/7/0| 20159
10/02/65|Berkeley physics v.3 |1964|FAR|2/7/6| 20160
10/02/65|Berkeley physics v.4 |1964|FAR|3/9/6| 20161
10/02/65|Berkeley physics v.5 |1964|FAR|3/9/6| 20162
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Some uses of metadata (1)
• Information retrieval (finding stuff)– Searching
• Lists of metadata elements (title, authors, publisher, etc.)
• Words in (digital) metadata (title, notes, etc.)
– Identifying• Descriptive metadata (title, notes, edition, date,
etc.)
– Finding• Item metadata (shelfmark, barcode, etc.)
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Some uses of metadata (2)
• Stock management (managing stuff)– Acquisition
• Date, cost, supplier, etc.
– Storage• Collection, shelfmark
– Circulation• Barcode
– Preservation• Format (serial, a-v, digital, etc.), date (age), etc.
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Some uses of metadata (3)
• Automated processing (using stuff)– Information retrieval
• OPACs
– Access to digital resources• Getting via Web browser, file transfer, etc.• Displaying using browser plug-ins, etc.
– Multiple metadata records in multiple electronic locations with different metadata formats
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Characteristics (1)
• A metadata record is (usually) significantly smaller than the stuff it describes– Catalogue card vs book– Metadata is a precis or abstract of those
aspects of the data deemed useful for retrieval, management, processing, etc.
– Abbreviations and codes are often used– Some exceptions include small manuscripts
with a long history …
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Characteristics (2)
• Different types of information resource require different metadata elements– Some elements are common; e.g. title, date– Publication pattern and frequency are specific
to serial resources– URLs don’t apply to printed books– Local preservation metadata is not required
for remote digital resources– Etc.
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Characteristics (3)
• Many resources are composed of other resources, so metadata can be applied at different levels of “granularity”– In library catalogues, journals usually have
metadata about the journal as a whole, and not about individual articles
• Articles have metadata in abstract and indexing services
– Some libraries catalogue multi-media kits as a whole; others catalogue each component
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Value of consistency
• A benefit of metadata is to provide consistency and coherency in using and processing resources– Resources themselves come with the widest
variation in “intrinsic” metadata• Forms of title, etc.; layout; completeness; etc.
– Metadata can be created consistently and structured coherently to improve effectiveness and efficiency in its use
• Similarities and differences easier to spot
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Achieving consistency
• Ensuring consistent metadata is not simple– Common and format-specific elements as well
as creative reaction to “the norm”• “Ceci n’est pas une pipe”
– Natural variation in naming and describing things
• J. Smith, John Smith, John Smith (Labour), etc.
• Requires standards and guidance
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Metadata standards
• Coherent set of elements organised (structured and labelled) in a consistent way – a schema (loosely)– “Title” or “Caption”? Include the subtitle or use a
“Subtitle” element? Always include a title?
• Guidance on identifying and interpreting elements in the resource– Title on spine, cover or title-page?
• Guidance on standardising content– Include “The” at the start of the title?
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From the local …
• Achieving consistency benefits local users of metadata (efficient, effective)
• Self-propelled users become non-local, so there are benefits in achieving consistency between libraries
• And metadata creation is complex (expensive), so there is value in sharing records
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… to the global
• So national and international standards have been used since the first modern library catalogues (100+ years)
• With significant evolution from the 1960s– Computers; “machine-readable cataloguing”
• And again from the 1990s– Internet/Web; “common information
environment” including archives and museums
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Some standards (1)
• MARC21 (21st century machine-readable cataloguing)– 40 years old; covers wide range of library stuff in
depth• Difficult to use - requires professional training
• DC (Dublin Core) – Ohio, that is– 10 years old; covers wider range of stuff (archives,
museums) at much less depth• Easier to use by a wider range of people
• DC/MARC structures can interoperate via element mappings
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Some standards (2)
• AACR (Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules)– Older than MARC; covers wide range of
library stuff in depth• Complements MARC; requires professional
training
– Undergoing radical development as RDA (Resource Description and Access)
• Becoming suitable for DC and other formats• Content interoperability
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Whither metadata?
• Many formats in use
• Wide variation in coverage and content
• No longer created exclusively by trained professionals– Wider “interpretation” of the rules (if any)
• Needs to be joined-up so it can be used effectively at a global (non-local) level– Interoperability!
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Joined-up metadata
• Caters to a wider range of users• Public/life-long learners/local business;
staff/students; teachers/learners/researchers; archives/libraries/museums
• Covers a wider range of resources• Originals/digitised copies; complex
websites/blogs/wikis; archives/libraries/museums
• Is created by a wider range of people• Acquisitions/cataloguing/serials; webpage
writers/online reviewers/wikis/folksonomists
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Recap
• Metadata is useful information about specific aspects of a resource
• Specific aspects are structured and labelled as metadata elements
• Different types of resource have different sets of elements, with a common core set
• Non-local use is increasingly important• Standards are evolving to improve
usefulness
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Thank you
Dunsire, Gordon
Me / My parents. - Kirkcaldy : The parents, 1951.
My card