The document discusses metadata and its uses in information retrieval. It describes how metadata is important for understanding information in data warehouses and is used in content management and web applications. It also discusses different types of metadata like descriptive, structural and administrative metadata and how metadata functions like allowing resource discovery, organizing e-resources, facilitating interoperability, digital identification, archiving and preservation. Finally, it discusses metadata elements, tools, organizations and concludes stating that metadata is essential in the digital era to improve access to information.

1. Metadata and its Use in the
Field of Information
Retrieval Environment
by
Dr. Umesha Naik
Prof. D Shivalingaiah
Department of Library and Information Science
Mangalore University
Metadata and its Use in the Field of Information Retrieval Environment

2. 1. Introduction
• Metadata is one of the most important aspects of
content management and website design.
• It is an essential tool for understanding information
stored in data warehouses and has become increasingly
important in HTML, XML-based web applications.
• The information available in the internet is easily and
vast accessible that library and information users
expect information services based on metadata.
• The Dublin Core Metadata Initiative was motivated
by the guiding principle of producing a metadata
element
• OCLC initiated a project in 1994 to experiment with
cataloging Web resources by using the AACR2 and
MARC format.
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3. 2. Applications of Metadata
Cataloguing (Item and Collections)
MARC
Resource Discovery
Web Search Engine
Electronic Commerce
E-commerce, E-management
Intelligent Software Agents
Tools and Techniques
Digital Signatures
Digital Objects
Content Rating
Search Engine and Ranking tools.
Intellectual Property Rights
Copy right
Privacy Preferences & Policies
Protection, Proxy,and its Use in the Field of Information Retrieval Environment
Metadata Firewall etc.
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4. 3. Types of Metadata
Descriptive Metadata
Structural Metadata
Administrative Metadata
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5. 4. Functions of Metadata
4.1 Resource Discovery
•Allowing resources to be found by relevant
criteria;
• Identifying resources;
• Bringing similar resources together;
• Distinguishing dissimilar resources;
• Giving location information.
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6. 4. Functions of Metadata
4.2 Organizing e-resources
•Organizing links to resources based on audience or
topic.
•Building these pages dynamically from metadata
stored in databases.
4.3 Facilitating Interoperability
•Using defined metadata schemes, shared transfer
protocols, and crosswalks between schemes,
resources across the network can be searched more
seamlessly.
 Cross-system search, e.g., using Z39.50
protocol;
 Metadata harvesting, e.g., OAI protocol.
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Metadata and its Use in the Field of Information Retrieval Environment

7. 4. Functions of Metadata
4.4 Digital identification
•Elements for standard numbers, e.g., ISBN
•The location of a digital object may also be given
using:
 a file name
 a URL
 some persistent identifiers, e.g., PURL
(Persistent URL); DOI (Digital Object
Identifier)
 Combined metadata to act as a set of
identifying data, differentiating one object
from another for validation purposes.
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8. 4. Functions of Metadata
4.5 Archiving and Preservation
• Challenges:
 Digital information is fragile and can be
corrupted or altered;
 It may become unusable as storage
technologies change.
• Metadata is key to ensuring that resources will
survive and continue to be accessible into the
future. Archiving and preservation require special
elements:
 to track the lineage of a digital object,
 to detail its physical characteristics, and
 to document its behavior in order to emulate it
in future technologies.
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9. 4. Functions of Metadata
4.6 Character Encodings
• Used for communicating text characters
in a computing environment
• Hundreds
of
character
encoding
standards exist
• Character conversion is complex and
expensive
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10. 4. Functions of Metadata
4.7 Unicode
• A
single,
“comprehensive”
global
encoding standard
• Includes characters from scripts of all
major modern, most minor, and selected
ancient languages
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11. Metadata Elements
Dublin Core Metadata Elements
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12. MODS-Metadata Object Description Schema
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13. Metadata Development Organizations
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14. Metadata and its Use in the Field of Information Retrieval Environment

15. Metadata Tools
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16. a
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17. Conclusion
• Metadata is a standard and an essential tool in
this digital era
• To improve access to information regardless
of the location, format and structure of the
resources.
• Such technology greatly improved the
publication and dissemination of information
and resulted in a widely faster increase in the
volume and complexities of digital resources.
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18. Thank You
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