METADATA John Hargreaves Technical Support officer JISC Digital Media

Before we begin Why are we going to all this trouble? Staffordshire Past Track http://www.staffspasttrack.org.uk

Why are we going to all this trouble?

Staffordshire Past Track

http://www.staffspasttrack.org.uk

Metadata Definition Types Location Schemas Vocabularies Examples

Definition

Types

Location

Schemas

Vocabularies

Examples

Definition Common definition: Information about information For my purposes: Structured information about information

Common definition:

Information about information

For my purposes:

Structured information about information

Structure Organised information is created using Schemas (element sets) Vocabularies (values)

Organised information is created using

Schemas (element sets)

Vocabularies (values)

Purposes Finding, identifying and understanding a resource Descriptive/Discovery metadata e.g. “Title”, “Subject” Creating, managing and preserving a resource Administrative, Technical, and Preservation metadata e.g. “Format”, “Filesize”

Finding, identifying and understanding a resource Descriptive/Discovery metadata e.g. “Title”, “Subject”

Creating, managing and preserving a resource Administrative, Technical, and Preservation metadata e.g. “Format”, “Filesize”

Purposes Organising and relating resources Structural and Packaging metadata e.g. “Is part of”, “Master image location” Using a resource Usage and User-contributed metadata e.g. “Published in”, “License requirements”, “User rating”

Organising and relating resources Structural and Packaging metadata e.g. “Is part of”, “Master image location”

Using a resource Usage and User-contributed metadata e.g. “Published in”, “License requirements”, “User rating”

Purposes Funder requirements… Images for Education - A JISC funded project. http:// imagesforeducation.org.uk /

Funder requirements…

Images for Education - A JISC funded project.

http:// imagesforeducation.org.uk /

Metadata - Attributes Different ‘levels’ of a resource (e.g. item, component, collection) Different ‘layers’ within a resource (e.g. physical resources, intermediaries, digital resources) Things outside the resource (e.g. rights ownership)

Different ‘levels’ of a resource (e.g. item, component, collection)

Different ‘layers’ within a resource (e.g. physical resources, intermediaries, digital resources)

Things outside the resource (e.g. rights ownership)

Metadata can have different origins… “ Implicit” – derived from the image itself (typically technical data) “ Explicit” – brought to the image (typically descriptive metadata; might be ‘legacy’ data, or newly created) New metadata might be: Provided by an image contributor Added by a cataloguer Added by a user All of above

“ Implicit” – derived from the image itself (typically technical data)

“ Explicit” – brought to the image (typically descriptive metadata; might be ‘legacy’ data, or newly created)

New metadata might be:

Provided by an image contributor

Added by a cataloguer

Added by a user

All of above

… and can exist in different locations Embedded within the digital resource itself Held in a traditional database Within an XML encoding <image> <ID> Jga-0019a </ID> <Title> Sanctuary of Apollo </Title> </image>

Embedded within the digital resource itself

Held in a traditional database

Within an XML encoding

“ Standards” Commonly, consistently applied formats or processes; measurable; well documented; endorsed by somebody JISC Digital Media recommends: Where there are clear standards, use them Where standards are unclear/competing, follow models of good practice within your ‘community’ Where there are no standards/models, create your own (and document them carefully!) Watch this space…

Commonly, consistently applied formats or processes; measurable; well documented; endorsed by somebody

JISC Digital Media recommends:

Where there are clear standards, use them

Where standards are unclear/competing, follow models of good practice within your ‘community’

Where there are no standards/models, create your own (and document them carefully!)

Watch this space…

Be very aware of differences How do they deal with different “layers” within a resource? (e.g. images of images of images…) What purposes are they serving? (description, administration, presevervation…)

How do they deal with different “layers” within a resource? (e.g. images of images of images…)

What purposes are they serving? (description, administration, presevervation…)

Choosing, adapting, and mapping schemas Ideally we ’ d pull a schema off the shelf and begin cataloguing Choice is clear for some collections but difficult for others (esp. where collection spans resource types or communities) Adaptation is common and generally necessary (but needs to be done carefully!) You might be combining several standard schemas or developing your own and mapping to standards for particular purposes

Ideally we ’ d pull a schema off the shelf and begin cataloguing

Choice is clear for some collections but difficult for others (esp. where collection spans resource types or communities)

Adaptation is common and generally necessary (but needs to be done carefully!)

You might be combining several standard schemas or developing your own and mapping to standards for particular purposes

Dublin Core International (ISO 15836-2003) cross-community standard for describing digital resources http://dublincore.org/ Concentrates on descriptive/ discovery metadata “ 1:1 rule” (1 record for 1 thing) Frequently adapted, mapped-to, used to achieve interoperability Title Creator Subject Description Publisher Contributor Date Type Format Identifier Source Language Relation Coverage Rights

International (ISO 15836-2003) cross-community standard for describing digital resources http://dublincore.org/

Concentrates on descriptive/ discovery metadata

“ 1:1 rule” (1 record for 1 thing)

Frequently adapted, mapped-to, used to achieve interoperability

VRA Core Visual Resources Association Version 4.0 is now also available Concentrates on descriptive/discovery metadata For art and cultural images Influenced by Dublin Core 1:1 rule (Work/Image) Frequently adapted http:// www.vraweb.org / Record Type Type Title Measurements Material Technique Creator Date Location ID Number Style/Period Culture Subject Relation Description Source Rights

Visual Resources Association

Version 4.0 is now also available

Concentrates on descriptive/discovery metadata

For art and cultural images

Influenced by Dublin Core

1:1 rule (Work/Image)

Frequently adapted

http:// www.vraweb.org /

SEPIADES Safeguarding European Photographic Images for Access For photographic collections Very extensive, with many sub-categories Covers description and administration, physical works and their digital reproductions Multi-level description which can describe a whole collection at many levels at once (based on archival metadata ) http://www.knaw.nl/ecpa/sepia/workinggroups/wp5/sepiadestool/sepiadesdef.pdf

Safeguarding European Photographic Images for Access

For photographic collections

Very extensive, with many sub-categories

Covers description and administration, physical works and their digital reproductions

Multi-level description which can describe a whole collection at many levels at once (based on archival metadata )

http://www.knaw.nl/ecpa/sepia/workinggroups/wp5/sepiadestool/sepiadesdef.pdf

CDWA Categories for the Description of Works of Art Describes art works or cultural objects Museum/gallery community Extensive with many sub-categories Covers description and administration, original works and their reproductions Can describe complex objects with multiple parts Note that there is a ‘lite’ version http://www.getty.edu/research/conducting_research/standards/cdwa/index.html

Categories for the Description of Works of Art

Describes art works or cultural objects

Museum/gallery community

Extensive with many sub-categories

Covers description and administration, original works and their reproductions

Can describe complex objects with multiple parts

Note that there is a ‘lite’ version

http://www.getty.edu/research/conducting_research/standards/cdwa/index.html

Some Established Mappings Mapping metadata schemas: Getty crosswalks: http://www.getty.edu/research/conducting_research/standards/intrometadata/crosswalks.html UKOLN resources: http:// www.ukoln.ac.uk /metadata/

Mapping metadata schemas:

Getty crosswalks: http://www.getty.edu/research/conducting_research/standards/intrometadata/crosswalks.html

UKOLN resources: http:// www.ukoln.ac.uk /metadata/

Vocabularies Image courtesy of stock.xchng

Why Use Controlled Vocabularies? Better retrieval Improved cataloguing efficiency and consistency ‘ Disambiguate’ the language (e.g. ‘bank’) Put things in their place (e.g. classify, identify relationships) Support interoperability (improved cross-searching and metadata sharing)

Better retrieval

Improved cataloguing efficiency and consistency

‘ Disambiguate’ the language (e.g. ‘bank’)

Put things in their place (e.g. classify, identify relationships)

Support interoperability (improved cross-searching and metadata sharing)

Ways to Control Vocabularies Data entry rules or guidelines Formal subject headings Thesauri Classifications Authority lists (people, places, events…) In-house keyword lists Uncontrolled cataloguer-added keywords? Combination of approaches

Data entry rules or guidelines

Formal subject headings

Thesauri

Classifications

Authority lists (people, places, events…)

In-house keyword lists

Uncontrolled cataloguer-added keywords?

Combination of approaches

What about ‘Uncontrolled’ Keywords? Made up by a cataloguer at the point of cataloguing Not an either/or situation – metadata can accommodate both A mix of both can assist with retrieval

Made up by a cataloguer at the point of cataloguing

Not an either/or situation – metadata can accommodate both

A mix of both can assist with retrieval

Alternative Vocabularies Consider some more creative approaches : Ask some of your users to ‘catalogue’ a representative sample of your collection Get your users to do the cataloguing! Get the technology to do the cataloguing! (e.g. CBIR) Draw on vocabularies from other communities, traditions and disciplines Use an alternative vocabulary source (e.g. a children’s encyclopaedia, book index)

Consider some more creative approaches :

Ask some of your users to ‘catalogue’ a representative sample of your collection

Get your users to do the cataloguing!

Get the technology to do the cataloguing! (e.g. CBIR)

Draw on vocabularies from other communities, traditions and disciplines

Use an alternative vocabulary source (e.g. a children’s encyclopaedia, book index)

CBIR & Community Involvement Exploring Flickr by colour http:// labs.systemone.at/retrievr / Using Flickr to catalogue a collection http:// www.flickr.com/photos/Library_of_Congress / Galaxy Zoo - http:// www.galaxyzoo.org /

Exploring Flickr by colour http:// labs.systemone.at/retrievr /

Using Flickr to catalogue a collection http:// www.flickr.com/photos/Library_of_Congress /

Galaxy Zoo - http:// www.galaxyzoo.org /

Further Support and Guidance Web site: http://www.jiscdigitalmedia.ac.uk/ helpdesk: http://www.jiscdigitalmedia.ac.uk/helpdesk/ JISC Mail: https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A1=ind0907&L=JISCDIGITALMEDIA

Web site: http://www.jiscdigitalmedia.ac.uk/

helpdesk: http://www.jiscdigitalmedia.ac.uk/helpdesk/

JISC Mail:

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