1. Metadata and Controlled
Vocabulary
Daryl L. Superio
Sr. Information Assistant
SEAFDEC Aquaculture Department Library
Presented at the Seminar Workshop
Organize IT Digitally, Open-Source Tools for your
Library organized by ASLP/SEAFDEC AQD, May 1517, 2013, Iloilo, Philippines

2. Metadata
 Definition:
 structured data about an object that supports
functions associated with the designated
object (J. Greenberg, 2003)
 structured data, implies a systematic ordering of data
according to a metadata schema specification
 object is any entity, form, or mode for which contextual
data can be recorded
 functions associated with the designated object,
emphasizes on the ability of metadata to support the
activities and behaviors of an object

3. Metadata
 Definition:
 the sum total of what one can say about any information
object at any level of aggregation (A.J. Gilliland, 2008)
 all information objects, regardless of the physical or
intellectual form they take, have three features
 Content
 relates to what the object contains or is about
 Context
 indicates the who, what, why, where, and how aspects
associated with the object’s creation
 Structure

relates to the formal set of associations within or among individual
information objects

4. The Catalogs
OPAC
Catalog Card

5. Metadata Creation and Cataloging
 Similarities (J. Greenberg, 2003)
 same goal, to produce a set of structured descriptive data
that will facilitate object discovery and other desired
functions
 web oriented metadata schemas are similar to traditional
cataloging and indexing standards
 web-oriented metadata schemas have adopted and promote
the use of attribute value schemas (e.g., controlled
vocabulary, classificatory system, etc.)
 Difference (R. Heery, 1996)
 metadata contain location information within the record,
which to allow direct document delivery from appropriate
application software

6. Different Types of Metadata and
their Functions
(A.J. Gilliland, 2008)

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Administrative
Descriptive
Preservation
Technical
Use

7. Different Types of Metadata
and their Functions
(A.J. Gilliland, 2008)
 Administrative
 used in managing and administering collections and
information resources
 Examples. Acquisition information; Rights and reproduction
tracking; Documentation of legal access requirements;
Location information; Selection criteria for digitization
 Descriptive
 used to identify and describe collections and related
information resources
 Examples. Cataloging records; Finding aids;
Differentiations between versions; Annotations by creators
and users

8. Different Types of Metadata
and their Functions
(A.J. Gilliland, 2008)
 Preservation
 related to the preservation management of
collections and information resources
 Examples. Documentation of physical condition of resources;
Documentation of actions taken to preserve physical and digital
versions of resources, e.g., data refreshing and migration
 Technical
 related to how a system functions or metadata
behaves
 Examples. Hardware and software documentation; Technical
digitization information, e.g., formats, compression ratios, scaling
routines; Authentication and security data, e.g., encryption keys,
passwords

9. Different Types of Metadata
and their Functions
(A.J. Gilliland, 2008)
 Use
 related to the level and type of use of collections and
information resources
 Examples. Circulation records; Use and user tracking;
Search logs

10. Primary Functions of Metadata
(A.J. Gilliland, 2008)

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Organization and description
Validation
Searching and retrieval
Utilization and preservation
Disposition

11. Importance of Metadata






(A.J. Gilliland, 2008)
Increased accessibility
Expanding use
System development and enhancement
Legal issues
Preservation and persistence
System improvement and economics

12. Facts about Metadata
(A.J. Gilliland, 2008)
 Metadata does not have to be digital
 Metadata relates to more than the
description of an object
 Metadata can come from a variety of
sources
 Metadata continues to accrue during the
life of an information object or system

13. Metadata Scheme
(J. Greenberg, 2005)
 a collection of metadata elements gathered to support
a function, or a series of functions for an information
object
 a collection of metadata elements, forming a
structured container, to which data values are added
 a collection of data elements, with their attributes
formalized in a specification (or a data dictionary)

14. Metadata Schemas
 Dublin Core
 consist of 15 elements that can be used to describe the
content on information resource, the information
resource itself and to identify the individual responsible
for the creation of the resource
 The Text Encoding Initiative (TEI)
 develop guidelines for marking up electronic texts such
as novels, plays, and poetry, primarily to support
research in the humanities

15. Metadata Schemas
 Metadata Encoding and Transmission Standard
(METS)
 developed to fill the need for a standard data structure
for describing complex digital library objects
 METS is an XML Schema
 Metadata Object Description Schema (MODS)
 is a descriptive metadata schema that is a derivative of
MARC 21 and intended to either carry selected data
from existing MARC 21 records or enable the creation
of original resource description records

16. Dublin Core (DC)
 a metadata standard consisting of 15
information elements for describing
networked resource
 includes typical bibliographic elements
 e.g. title, creator, publisher, etc.
 includes elements that are related to
networked resources
 e.g. type and format of resource

17. Elements of DC Metadata Set
 Contributor
 an entity responsible for making contributions
to the resource
 Coverage
 the spatial or temporal topic of the resource,
the spatial applicability of the resource, or the
jurisdiction under which the resource is
relevant

18. Elements of DC Metadata Set
 Creator
 an entity primarily responsible for making the
resource
 Date
 a point or period of time associated with an
event in the lifecycle of the resource
 Description
 an account of the resource

19. Elements of DC Metadata Set
 Format
 the file format, physical medium, or dimensions of
the resource
 Identifier
 an unambiguous reference to the resource within a
given context
 Language
 a language of the resource
 recommended best practice is to use a controlled
vocabulary

20. Elements of DC Metadata Set
 Publisher
 an entity responsible for making the resource
available
 Relation
 related resource
 Rights
 information about rights held in and over the
resource

21. Elements of DC Metadata Set
 Source
 related resource from which the described
resource is derived
 Subject
 topic of the resource
 he subject will be represented using keywords,
key phrases, or classification codes.
 recommended best practice is to use a
controlled vocabulary

22. Elements of DC Metadata Set
 Title
 a name given to the resource
 Type
 nature or genre of the resource

23. Quality Metadata
 is a shareable metadata
 content is optimized for sharing
 metadata within shared collections reflects
consistent practices
 coherent
 context is provided
 communication between service providers and
data providers
 must conform with the recognized standards

24. Controlled Vocabulary
 established list of preferred terms from
which a cataloger or indexer must select
when assigning subject headings or
descriptors in a bibliographic record, to
indicate a content of a work in a library
catalog, index or bibliographic detabase
 Examples:
 LCSH; Sears List; ASFA Thesaurus; FAO
Agrovoc;Art and Architecture Thesaurus

25. The Importance of Controlled
Vocabularies

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

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Consistency
Accuracy
Interoperability
Enhancement of searches and discovery
Efficient use of time

26. Reference List
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Gilliland, A.J. (2008). Setting the stage. In Introduction to Metadata (2nd ed.) (pp. 1-19).
Greenberg, J. (2003). Metadata and the World Wide Web. In Encyclopedia of Library
and Information Science (pp. 1876-1888). New York, NY: Marcel Dekker.
Greenberg, J. (2005). Understanding metadata and metadata schemes. Cataloging
&Classification Quarterly, 40(3-4), 17-36.
Heery, R. (1996). Review of metadata formats. Program: electronic library and
information systems, 30(4), 345-373.
NISO. (2004). Understanding metadata. Bethesda, MD: NISO.
Shreeves, S. L., Riley, J., & Milewicz, L. (2006). Moving towards shareable metadata.
First Monday, 11(8). Retrieved 12 May 2013 from
http://firstmonday.org/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/article/viewArticle/1386
Taylor, S. (2010). An introduction to Dublin Core . Retrieved 14 May 2013 from
http://dublincore.org/resources/training/dc-2011/Tutorial_Taylor.pdf