metadata
nounPronunciation: /ˈmɛtəˌdeɪtə/
Structured data that describes, explains, or provides information about other data. In academic libraries, it enables discovery, organization, and management of digital resources.
Full Definition
Metadata is structured information that describes the characteristics, context, quality, and attributes of data resources, making them discoverable, usable, and manageable. In academic library contexts, metadata includes bibliographic information such as author, title, publication date, subject headings, and technical specifications for digital objects. It serves as the foundation for catalog systems, search functionality, and interoperability between different library systems. Metadata schemas like Dublin Core, MARC, and MODS provide standardized frameworks for consistent description across institutions.
Plain English
Information about information - like tags, titles, and descriptions that help organize and find digital files, books, and other materials in library systems.
In Editorial Context
Descriptive and structural information assigned to published content that enables editorial workflow management, content categorization, search optimization, and automated distribution across multiple platforms and databases.
Etymology & History
Emerged from computer science and information theory as digital systems required structured ways to describe and organize electronic information.
Originally technical computing term; expanded to library science and digital humanities as digitization increased in the 1990s-2000s.
Usage
"The library's digital collection management requires comprehensive metadata to ensure discoverability and long-term preservation of faculty publications."
Usage note: Usually treated as uncountable noun; can be used as adjective in compound terms
Context: digital libraries, cataloging, database management, repository systems, digital preservation
Region: international
Also known as
Contrasted with
Don't confuse with
Data is the content itself while metadata describes that content; bibliography lists sources while metadata structures description