Metadata, sometimes referred to as “data about data,” includes information that enables users to identify, discover, interpret, or manage content, such as the name of the author of the work, the date on which it was first created or published, or where the physical object is located.  

• Descriptive metadata describes the object or data and gives the basic facts: who created it (i.e., authorship), title, keywords, and abstract. 

• Structural metadata describes the structure of an object including its components and how they are related (e.g., sequence or order, position in hierarchy).  It also describes the format, process, and inter-relatedness of objects. It can be used to facilitate navigation or define the format or sequence of complex objects. 

• Administrative metadata includes information about the management of the object and may include information about preservation and rights management, creation date, copyright permissions, required software, provenance (history), and file integrity checks. 

You can learn more about metadata in Understanding Metadata (NISO, 2017). The Library's Metadata and Discovery Unit provides metadata advice and support. To ask a question, set up a consultation, or learn more about our services, contact us.