Research metadata

Metadata is the descriptive information attached to research data and artefacts that allows others to find, verify, and reuse them. The metadata attached to research data is useful at multiple levels and for different purposes. For example:

At the project level:

• What is the study about?
• What methodology or process was used?
• What instruments or devices were used?
• What references were used?

At the file level:

• What was done to the files?
• What file formats are used, and how are they opened?
• Are there specific access rights or licensing?
• Which version is the most current?

Within a file:

• What is the meaning or definition of a specific variable or term?

A good way to determine what metadata to capture is to think about the information someone else would need to understand your project and reuse the data.

Many disciplines, repositories, or data centres use metadata standards or schemas. A metadata standard is a defined set of metadata fields, general or discipline-specific.

Examples of metadata standards

• Dublin Core - domain agnostic, basic and widely used metadata standard
• DDI (Data Documentation Initiative) - a common standard for social, behavioural and economic sciences, including survey data
• EML (Ecological Metadata Language) - specific to ecology disciplines
• ISO 19115 and FGDC-CSDGM (Federal Geographic Data Committee's Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata) - for describing geospatial information
• MINSEQE (MINimal information about high throughput SEQeuencing Experiments) - Genomics standard
• FITS (Flexible Image Transport System) - Astronomy digital file standard that includes structured, embedded metadata
• BIDS (Brain Imaging Data Structure)

Find a metadata standard

• Digital Curation Centre
  A catalogue of common metadata standards, organised by discipline.

• Research Data Alliance Metadata Directory
  A collaborative open dictionary of metadata standards applicable to scientific and research data.

• FAIRsharing
  A curated, informative and educational resource on data and metadata standards across all disciplines.

Research Data Support Services
Email: researchdata@auckland.ac.nz

eResearch Engagement Specialist
Email: Tom Saunders