clsc 555 IS Webliography

CLSC 555 Information Systems Webliography: Metadata
by
Jennifer Spencer

| Concepts | Resources | Applications |

Metadata Concepts
- Understanding Metadata
  Published by the National Information Standards Organization
  This is a comprehensive and educational introduction to the concept and uses of metadata. Not only does this article present an abundance of examples to illustrate the concepts for the reader, but it also offers a glossary of terms, which is a very useful tool for beginners. However, the length of the article may force it to only be used by students and serious researchers. The article is lengthy and it is possible that it would primarily be of interest only to professors of the information systems classes and students, but overall it would be a valuable resource for anyone starting to delve into this complicated and confusing aspect of information science.
- Introduction to Metadata: Pathways to Digital Information
  Edited by Martha Baca, Getty Research Institute
  This is a great article for any information science or library science professional hoping to become more educated on the topic. The available articles are uncomplicated and cover a wide area of interest, from the basics to advanced searching initiatives. However, the articles focus mainly on library issues as opposed to strictly technological innovation.
- An Introduction to Metadata
  By Chris Taylor, Manager, Information Access Service, University of Queensland Library
  Taylor’s article provides some insight into the methodology and motivation behind the development and uses of metadata. He provides answers to questions like why search engines are no longer providing the precise and relevant information needed by users, why metadata schemas will advance “resource discovery”, and how metadata is created. The article is slightly confusing at first and it is not until you reach the middle of the article that you begin to more thoroughly understand the point he is trying to make, however the second half of the article offers a strong interpretation of the topic.
- Metadata: An Overview
  Paper given by Dr. Warwick Cathro, Assistant Director-General, Services to Libraries Division at the Standards Australia Seminar, "Matching Discovery and Recovery" August 1997
  Cathro explores the definition of metadata and the ways in which it will improve searches particularly on the World Wide Web, where search engines return a great deal of unrelated information and seldom yield sufficient valid results. The strength of the paper is the way in which he describes the issues of general standards like Dublin Core and the Warwick Framework and discusses the developments and revisions to the original Dublin Core set. The weakness of the website is that the paper was published in 1997 and some sections are now out of date.
- Metadata Principles and Practicalities
  Published by D-Lib Magazine
  D-Lib Magazine is a great online resource for information technology information. The magazine has published several articles on metadata, some outdated but still useful. This particular article separates the topic into two areas, principles and practicalities in two specific metadata initiatives and discusses detailed topics other papers do not seem to touch on. One of the many strengths of the article is the list of resources and definitions the authors provide. The weakness of the article is that it is extensive and uses a lot of technical language which many may find too confusing to get through.
Metadata Resources
- Metadata Standards, Crosswalks, and Standard Organizations
  Produced by the Memorial University of Newfoundland Library
  This is a valuable resource for researchers and librarians who wish to find the metadata resources on the internet. The links are categorized from general information websites to very specific websites on standards such as Z39.50 and the Dublin Core Schema. The site is colorful and easy to use. The downside to the general public is that this website focuses on the uses of metadata and other standards in library information systems rather than a more broad exploration of the topic.
- Metadata
  Published by UKOLN (UK Office for Library Networking)
  This is a resource website published by the metadata staff at the UKOLN. It offers links to projects they are currently working on, resources on metadata, initiatives, and an article that goes into detail on the definition of metadata and how it is applied in current resource discovery technology projects. The links are all useful examples of a wide selection of metadata projects and the site seems to be updated regularly. I had difficulty finding this website--it was not until I found a website with a link to this website on it that I was discovered this cache of valuable information.
- Metadata
  Maintained by the Minnesota State Archives
  This page is dedicated to the concept of Metadata. The site provides links to information about metadata (definition and concept), resources (tools, examples, and standards), metadata symbols, studies and reports, and finally, information on the Minnesota Recordkeeping Metadata Standard. The links under the "Resources" section are effectively categorized according to topic (general information, standards, tools, conferences, projects, and geographic information systems) and explanations of the each linked website are included. This is an invaluable resource, providing all of the information needed to understand metadata and its uses particularly in libraries. It would be an even more beneficial page is there was more of a hierarchy within each subtopic, allowing the reader to see which sites are the most important to explore first.
Metadata Applications
- Dublin Core Metadata Initiative
  Produced by the Dublin Core Metadata Initiative (DCMI)
  The Dublin Core Metadata Initiative is the primary standard for metadata. The website is designed to bring together information systems professionals in every area to continually develop metadata standards and work with the existing elements. The website provides a variety of resources including terms and definitions, guidelines, articles, conferences and training, and software. The website can be a little difficult to navigate at times, relevant articles hard to locate, and it is slightly more technological than might be appropriate for a computer novice.
- The Value of Metadata
  Published by the Federal Geographic Data Committee
  This article demonstrates one of the many ways metadata is useful in preserving data and guaranteeing the long-term use of data. This article is written about geospatial data, a topic many readers may not understand if they are not already working in the field. However, the language they use is simple enough that this may provide valuable insight into how metadata works in a specific line of work and why it is important to begin understanding its significance to preservation of data early on rather than later.
- MODS Overview (Metadata Object Description Schema:MODS)
  Produced by the Library of Congress
  True to its title, the website is dedicated to the recent development of MODS, a "bibliographic element set", a standard intended to accompany existing Marc 21 records and enhance existing metadata formats. This advanced metadata initiative will promote the increased use of metadata for electronic resources and will continue the LC mission to preserve existing data. The MODS website is a useful tool for understanding the most recent advances in metadata and gives examples of the schema and its uses and features. The website is also easy to navigate. However, without having a background in understanding the language of metadata, the website would not be very useful. Like the majority of metadata websites, it is intended for use by those interested in this type of information.
- Finding the Data: Using Metadata Indices to Locate and Obtain Data on the World Wide Web
  By B.N. Dorland, W.A. Snyder, E.O. Hulbert Center for Space Research, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, R.D. Jones, S. Heinicke, Hughes STX Corporation, and D.A. Becker, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Laboratory
  This is a useful model of metadata use and interaction in database catalogs. The authors discuss issues such as the structure of metadata, the expansiveness of the holdings they deal with, and how they extract the metadata to filter into the catalogs. Additionally, they spend a great deal of time on the problems associated with access in certain formats like HTML and the methods they have undertaken to resolve those issues. The article will be useful and interesting for those deeply involved in the design and development of metadata standards, but may be far too advanced to be a useful reference tool for anyone else.
- Library of Congress Digital Repository Development Core Metadata Elements
  Produced by the Library of Congress
  This is one example of the ways in which metadata elements are employed by the Library of Congress, in this case, with digital objects. Using the Alexander Graham Bell papers as an illustration, the LC explains the types of metadata elements and how they are categorized, and the levels or hierarchy of metadata to accommodate for the variety of the digital objects as well as increase the efficiency of the system. The website provides useful links to examples of the work being done and publishes the table of metadata elements to demonstrate the areas where the elements function and the ways they are broken down for searching effectiveness. Although helpful for understanding this particular case study and applying it to similar cases, the website does not go into great detail on any topic. For the most part, it provides the examples and leaves it to the reader or researcher to decipher the meaning.
- Reggie-The Metadata Editor
  Maintained by the Resource Discovery Unit of the Distributed Systems Technology Centre
  This site has an interesting tool used to create metadata using the HTML 3.2 standard, the HTML 4.0 standard, the RDF (Resource Description Framework) format and the RDF Abbreviated format. The tool can be used for a variety of metadata element sets and languages. Users can enter the element set and/or the URL and the results will be emailed to them. The site gives users a further understanding of how to create their own schema files. However, the tool is slightly confusing and without proper understanding of the basics of metadata, may not prove useful. Additionally, the site may be blocked by certain firewall software packages.
- Dublin Core Metadata
  Published by Nordic Metadata Project
  This is a useful tool for exploring the ways in which metadata is created. The user simply inputs their data into the form, including elements such as title, creator, and format, and the metadata is returned to them in HTML format. The website is out of date, but nevertheless, the process still works and will continue to be useful for beginners.