Understanding Metadata and Metadata Schemes

TLDR

Metadata schemes have proliferated over the past decade, yet comprehensive research on their cumulative impact remains scarce due to the topic’s vast scope. The study proposes a framework to systematically analyze the full extent and functionalities of metadata schemes. The authors examine metadata schemes for information resources, review definitions, functions, and typologies, conceptualize a semantic container–like framework, and introduce the MODAL framework to study these schemes. The paper concludes that frameworks are valuable for examining metadata schemes and highlights various types of schemes.

Abstract

SUMMARY Although the development and implementation of metadata schemes over the last decade has been extensive, research examining the sum of these activities is limited. This limitation is likely due to the massive scope of the topic. A framework is needed to study the full extent of, and functionalities supported by, metadata schemes. Metadata schemes developed for information resources are analyzed. To begin, the author presents a review of the definition of metadata, metadata functions, and several metadata typologies. Next, a conceptualization for metadata schemes is presented. The emphasis is on semantic container-like metadata schemes (data structures). The last part of this paper introduces the MODAL (Metadata Objectives and principles, Domains, and Architectural Layout) framework as an approach for studying metadata schemes. The paper concludes with a brief discussion on the value of frameworks for examining metadata schemes, including different types of metadata schemes.