Add metadata

Metadata

Metadata are data about the data. They can be defined as follows :

« A structured set of information that describes, explains and locates an information resource, with the aim of facilitating its search, use and management » (Source : Glossaire Recherche Data Gouv.fr cité in DORANum, Glossaire – Données de la recherche. We translate).

Metadata describe the dataset and provide basic administrative information. Depending on the discipline and/or the repository, metadata schemes can differ.

Usefulness :

• Metadata help you structure, organise and manage all your data.
• You can trace data processing operations.
• They define the data’s uses.
• They help prepare data for sharing and interoperability.

(Source : DORANum, Metadata, standards and formats. Summary sheet, 27/11/2017. Last update : 21/05/2024).

Yet, some requirements concern all metadata:

• Metadata should be interoperable.
• Metadata should contain Persistent Identifiers, as explained in this video.
• It is recommended to use dedicated vocabularies like thesauri, lexicons, taxonomies, etc. (Source : DORANum, supra).