Metadata StandardsRebecca ElwickKnowledge Management Policy and Library Services

Rebecca.Elwick@Communities.gsi.gov.uk0207 944 6173 [GTN 3533 6173]

Objectives

1.To understand what metadata standards are

2.To explore the need for metadata standards

3.To discuss metadata standards in the UK public sector

What are Metadata Standards?

Standardised descriptions of information items …

… in a structured record …… with a consistent format

Standards: Why use them?

What You Can See PhotoAmphitheatre

What You Can’t SeeLocationWhen it was takenPublisher, who has the IP rightsTitleInteresting triviaSubject

Metadata standards address three main concerns:

1.Efficiency of retrieval2.Management of information3.Interoperability

Metadata Standards

1.Dublin Core Metadata Initiative2.e-Government Metadata Standard

(e-GMS)

Dublin Core Metadata Initiative

• The original need• The original standard• ISO 15836

15 Core Elements

Title CreatorSubject DescriptionPublisher ContributorsDate TypeFormat IdentifierSource LanguageRelation CoverageRights

e-Government Metadata Standard (e-GMS)Why does the UK public sector need a metadata standard?

Efficiency, sharing and re-use Electronic records management

systems Legislative requirements Transformational Government

objectives

From Dublin Core to e-GMS• DC as foundation of e-GMS• e-GMS developed to recognise

government needs• Mandated by e-Government

Interoperability Framework (e-GIF)• e-Government Unit, Cabinet Office

e-GMS elementsTitle Creator AddresseeSubject Description AggregationPublisher Contributor AudienceDate Type DisposalFormat Identifier LocationSource Language MandateRelation Coverage PreservationRights Accessibility Status

Digital signature

MandatoryCreator Date Subject Title

Mandatory if applicableAccessibility Identifier Publisher

RecommendedCoverage Language

Subject Element and the Integrated Public Sector Vocabulary (IPSV)

• 3,080 preferred terms and 4,843 non-preferred terms

• Hierarchical tree structure (interactive search feature)

Future Developments & Maintenance Principles

E-Government Unit endeavour not to:• Remove any elements or refinement (if

removal is unavoidable, a warning will be given by deprecating a term first)

• Rename any elements or refinements• Add new elements that could contain values

contained in the existing elements

Summarye-GMS in the UK public sector…

• Enables the identification of individual documents

• Assists in the retrieval and management of documents

• Fosters interoperability between different systems

Useful ResourcesGovTalkhttp://www.govtalk.gov.uk/

e-Government Interoperability Framework Version 6.1http://www.govtalk.gov.uk/schemasstandards/egif_document.asp?docnum=949

e-Government Metadata Standard Version 3.1http://www.govtalk.gov.uk/schemasstandards/metadata_document.asp?docnum=1017

Integrated Public Sector Vocabulary (IPSV)http://www.esd.org.uk/standards/ipsv/0

Dublin Core Metadata Initiativehttp://dublincore.org/

Any Questions?