Supporting data production description: an exploration of metadata standards

Chao, Tiffany C.

Permalink

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/78821 Copy

Description

Title

Supporting data production description: an exploration of metadata standards

Author(s)

Chao, Tiffany C.

Issue Date

2015-02

Keyword(s)

• data curation
• data production
• metadata

Abstract

The description of methods used in producing data is essential information generally expected by scientists in reviewing and assessing the quality of data for reuse (Faniel & Jacobsen, 2010; Zimmerman, 2008). Given the significance of research methods description for the reuse of data, the objective of this pilot study is to understand how information about the data production process is supported by current metadata standards for scientific data. The examination of existing metadata records using these standards provided a first-hand account of how the metadata standard is applied in practice and what information, if any, pertaining to the procedures implemented in generating data is actually included for public use. A sample of thirty metadata records for scientific datasets was retrieved and analyzed from two publically accessible data repositories utilizing the Ecological Metadata Language (EML) and the Directory Interchange Format (DIF) metadata schemes. Preliminary results indicate the presence of multiple methods-related elements for each standard though the majority of these elements remained unpopulated. While both metadata standards contain elements related to the data production process, greater attention is needed in addressing those additional methods-related elements that were not reported on and left blank. In particular, it is not clear if such information is not available or just not contributed at the time. Further inquiry into alternative information sources can illuminate applicable descriptive information to satisfy these metadata elements thus making the data production process more visible to foster data reuse.

Type of Resource

text

Language

en

Permalink

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/78821

Owning Collections