Metadata

What is metadata?

Metadata is data about data.  It describes the content, quality, condition, and other characteristics of data.  Metadata helps to insure an organization's investment in data and encourages appropriate use of the data.

 

"People come...people go...information stays." - RTSe USA

 

In the ever-changing world of geographic information systems, people come and go, but the information they create for use by an organization remains.  If adequate metadata for that information was not developed before they left, it can often be very costly to the organization.

 

Just the facts!

At the very least, metadata should answer the following questions:

* Who created the data?

* Who maintains the data?

* What is the content and structure of the data?

* When was the data collected?  Published?

* Where is the geographic location?  Storage location?

* How was the data produced?

* Why was the data created?