Web metadata standards: observations and prescriptions

Abstract

The proliferation of Web metadata standards presents an opportunity to recall key lessons from related disciplines, such as software engineering, software reuse, library science, and knowledge representation. However, the haste to advance these standards also entails a danger that such lessons might be overlooked. In addition, the apparent confluence of metadata standards and artificial intelligence will likely yield mutual benefits but might also divert researchers' energies away from interoperability and other key issues. This article reviews various Web metadata standards and calls attention to lessons learned from related disciplines.