Metadata

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that metadata, a term mainly used when discussing information systems and resources, describes the sum total of what a person can say about any information object at any level of aggregation. The author points out that Anne J. Gilliland-Swetland writes in her essay; "Setting the Stage;" that metadata can be used to describe the three main features of an information object: content, the intrinsic to the information object; context, extrinsic to the object; and structure. The paper relates that Paul Conway shows the concept of metadata is at the center of information management theory and practice, including specifications for the disposition of government archives, the management of book collections, and the maintenance of large-scale information technology systems.

From the Paper:

"If we refer to context, then the example of museum and archival activities is best. Here, metadata takes the form of accession records and catalog records, following certain standards that have been developed throughout time. Following these examples of how metadata is used to describe content and context (further more, the article also brings forth the example of hoe metadata is used in describing an information object's structure), we can better relate to the definition of metadata as "data about data" and we can underline one of the main characteristics of metadata: description. Indeed, metadata describes, following certain rules and certain algorithms, a series of other data and information."

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