Edinburgh Napier University

  PART I: Metadata concepts

Part I introduces the concepts that underpin metadata, starting with an historical perspective.

In Chapter 1 some examples of metadata that people come across in their daily life are demonstrated along with some alternative views of metadata and how it might be categorised. This chapter defines the scope of this book as considering metadata in the context of document description.

Chapter 2 looks at mark-up languages and the development of schemas as a way of representing metadata standards. It also highlights the connection between metadata and cataloguing.

Chapter 3 looks at different ways of modelling data with specific reference to the Resource Description Framework (RDF). It describes the Library Reference Model (LRM) and its impact on current cataloguing systems.

Chapter 4 discusses cataloguing and metadata standards and ways of representing metadata. It introduces RDA, MARC, BIBFRAME as well as standards used in records management, digital repositories and non-textual materials such as images, video and sound.

PART II: Purposes of metadata

One of the organising principles of the first edition of this book was that metadata could be categorised by purpose. The original five purposes reflected the preoccupations of information professionals in the early 2000s. Many of these purposes have stood up to scrutiny and Part II builds on that model, but with six purposes.

Chapter 5 begins this part of the book with resource identification and description as in the first edition.

Chapter 6 looks at information retrieval and the impact that metadata has on it. It necessarily discusses retrieval theory moving beyond the measures of precision and recall that were discussed in the first edition.

Chapter 7 moves on to ‘Managing information resources’ and looks at the role of metadata in managing the information lifecycle.

Chapter 8 considers intellectual property rights, including provenance.

Chapter 9 has been developed into a description of the role of metadata supporting e-commerce and e-government (this was previously a chapter on e-commerce). It is illustrated with examples from the book trade (ONIX), e-learning environments and research data (including ‘big data’).

Chapter 10, the final chapter in Part II, is about information governance, dealing with ethical and regulatory issues. Risk is used as a lens through which to view regulation and governance.

PART III: Managing metadata

Part III looks at metadata as a resource to be managed, rather than as a tool for management that we saw in Part II.

Chapter 11 refers back to the metadata concepts in Part I and identifies some of the issues that arise when developing and implementing metadata standards, such as quality and security. One way of addressing the quality issue is to have some control over the way in which metadata content is created.

Chapter 12 considers the ways in which taxonomies and other controlled vocabularies can be used to improve metadata quality. Cataloguing rules are also important in this context as are authority files.

Chapter 13 looks at very large collections of data, especially research data and official data released by public authorities. These require special consideration because of expansion of linked data and the emphasis on re-usability of public data.

Chapter 14 addresses the ethical and political issues about the control and management of information as well as privacy and human rights that were raised in the previous chapter. This last chapter also peers into the future and speculates on which professional groups will be responsible for metadata management and use.