Metadata – The Data About Data
Metadata is a word that seems to elude most people when they’re trying to understand how information management functions. Metadata, obviously couldn’t exist without the data that is created and collected by individuals within an organization. Metadata is also data that can be decided upon, configured, and applied to information. To begin this quick journey to a basic understanding of metadata, let’s start with a breakdown. Metadata effectively provides insights about other data through two forms: structural metadata and descriptive metadata. Descriptive metadata utilizes specific examples of application data or data content to provide more information about the data you’re focusing on. Structural metadata describes the types, versions, relationships or other characteristics of the information at hand.
Descriptive Metadata: Consider for example, the album title to a favorite song of yours. You can’t remember the song name but know the title. You search for the song by typing in the album title into your search browser and it pulls up everything you own relating to those words. Your favorite song is the third result and that’s due the song’s relationship with the title of the album, the album name functioning as a specific descriptive metadata to your favorite song.
Structural Metadata: Now consider for example that favorite song again. Its structural metadata would include information such as it being a media file, the second version you purchased, contain relationship information to the album and artist, as well as the fact that it’s in the R&B genre.
Purpose of Metadata: The core purpose of metadata is to enable the discovery of relevant information. Metadata can help organizations organize their electronic and physical records, providing digital identification, and helping to support the archival and preservation of the information.
How Metadata Looks: Below, metadata collected displays the name of a publication associated with the article linked in conjunction to: the location, date, time and time zone.
Types of Metadata Collected: These are common metadata collections for most organizations.
Email
- sender's name, email and IP address
- recipient's name and email address
- recipient's name and email address
Cellphone
- phone number of every caller
- unique serial numbers of phones involved
- time of call
Browser
- activity including pages you visit and when
- user data and user login details with auto-fill feature
- IP address, internet service provider, device hardware details,
- operating system and browser version
How Metadata Helps Organization: Metadata is a critical tool within information management and governance. Metadata is second in command to an effective taxonomy system. Once a taxonomy system is set, metadata classifications should be defined and agreed upon within organizations to aid in data discovery, archival, and preservation. Whether your records are digital or physical, the application of metadata tags, is a strategic and proactive method within good information management practices.