Metadata Standards
December 22, 2009 - 15:52 — squigley
Standards form the core of nearly every activity aimed at managing biological information.
Standards are critical in order to characterize data in a consistent manner, integrate data from
multiple sources, and to make scientifically credible decisions based upon collected information.
The more standardized the structure and content of information, the more effectively it can be
used by both humans and machines. A metadata standard is simply a common set of terms and
definitions that are presented in a structured format. While there are many national and
international metadata standards, this document will focus on four common metadata standards:
Dublin Core, Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata, International Organization for
Standardization 19115, and the Ecological Metadata Language.
Standards are critical in order to characterize data in a consistent manner, integrate data from
multiple sources, and to make scientifically credible decisions based upon collected information.
The more standardized the structure and content of information, the more effectively it can be
used by both humans and machines. A metadata standard is simply a common set of terms and
definitions that are presented in a structured format. While there are many national and
international metadata standards, this document will focus on four common metadata standards:
Dublin Core, Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata, International Organization for
Standardization 19115, and the Ecological Metadata Language.