Metadata Glossary
From ISMuseum
- This page is archived in the ISM Google Docs Metadata folder. Membership in the ism_planning Google Group is required for access.
C
- Controlled Vocabulary
- a way of controlling or limiting the terms that are used in a statement
D
- DCMI Abstract Model
- This model goes from the smallest unit, the property or value, to the largest, the vocabulary scheme. Any metadata scheme can be built on this model.
- DCMI Description Set Model
- The set of descriptions made up of element-value pairs (statements) about a resource makes up a metadata record.
- A single statement has one property (element) and one value.
- A value has a literal and a non-literal element.
- One and only one description set makes up a metadata record. The description set is made up of one or more descriptions, which are composed of one or more statements.
- Dublin Core
- See About Dublin Core
E
- Element
- a category of statement
- Element-Value Pair
- the totality of the statement
- Entity & Relationships
- Example:
| Term | Info Sci |
|---|---|
| Scope note | Study of gathering, etc. info |
| Broader term | (fields & disciplines) |
| Narrower term | Archival Science, Informatics, etc. |
| Related terms | Cognitive Science, Computer Sci., etc. |
| Use for | Library & Info Science, etc. |
M
- Metadata
- "Data about Data", in other words, data that describes some data item
- Metadata Schema
- An organized, formal framework for metadata descriptors, a metadata schema controls the kinds of statements you can even make.
- "schema" is a formally-defined set of metadata elements. The meaning (semantics) of the elements are predefined, constraining the kinds of statements that can be made about a resource. There are usually requirements or recommendations for how to select values for elements.
N
- Namespace
- A "space" in which a set of identifiers are defined.
- Examples of namespaces include social security numbers, and complete physical addresses. A namespace is a conceptual set of rules for defining unique identifiers for a set of objects. A synonym for a particular instantiation of a namespace is 'unique identifier'.
O
- Omeka
- A Web application for using and sharing metadata
- Ontology
- In IS & CS, the term is related to, but not quite the same as in philosophy.
- IS & CS tend to to include the entire universe, while philosophy is concerned with everything. So, in IS & CS, 'ontology' goes beyond a thesaurus in terms of controlled vocabulary.
- They have a list of terms used in a domain, but go beyond hierarchies to include more complicated relationships between/among the terms included in the definition.
- Ontologies can also include 'inferences' or rules that define what additional facts can be implied if other facts are known.
- Ontologies can be used to develop computer algorithms.
"An ontology defines a common vocabulary for researchers who need to share information in
a domain. It includes machine-interpretable definitions of basic concepts in the domain and
relations among them."
- - Noy & McGuinness, Ontology Development 101
P
- Protégé
- Opensource software (on the Web or as a cross-platform download) for developing ontologies
T
- Taxonomy
- a way or system that describes how things are related. http://taxonomywarehouse.com has a comprehensive list of metadata schemas.
V
- Value
- data provided in the statement or element
