I consider myself a pretty organized person.
Undoubtedly, working as a data analyst takes the practice of organization to a whole new level. One of the most important tasks I do when I engage with data is to describe it. Whether I am sharing the data or storing it for professional use, it is imperative to maintain documentation that describes the data. And that’s pretty much what metadata is: it is the data that describes other data.
In today’s post I am sharing the simple discovery that changed how I view organization in my day to day life.
Metadata is the secret sauce that makes data usable
Let’s take a simplified, yet real world example of this I came across the other day. I am in the process of cataloging photos (digital and physical), videos and other memorabilia I have. There are thousands of photos across my tech devices and a few hundred photos in albums and storage bins.
My dilemma
By this tally, you can imagine the weight of trying to organize it all. Do I organize everything by year and season? Moreover, what if I am looking for something specific and I can’t remember the year it happened? While buried under photos of hilarious hair do’s and bold outfit choices, I came across a few lines of handwritten text that sparked the conversation we are having today.
(Top Left) 1999 Bethany doing a bit of shopping in Bridgetown Barbados at Cave Shepherd Dept. Store.
(Bottom Right) Broad Street Bridgetown Barbados “Very Hot Day”
This was my ah ha moment! The lightbulb finally went off in my head. Metadata. What I needed was metadata. To my surprise, this was proof that metadata has always existed around me in some form or another.
These brief lines of text immediately told me what I need to know about these photos. Not only me, who has a deep personal connection to the photos, but in effect anyone seeing these photos for the first time. The process of documenting the details of photos have been around for a while. That is because collecting photos, or data is not just for current use. It is also for the chance to reflect and reuse.
Prior to my lightbulb moment, I would have titled the photos in this album as “Summer of 1999 in Barbados”. That is still a fine description. However, keywords like Bridgetown and Cave Shepherd Department Store would really illuminate the contents of the photo album before I even open it.
I understand the importance of all the unique elements needed for adequate metadata. Certainly the kind of data I work with on a regular basis can be more complex than the above example and thereby has different parameters for how it should be described. And now personally, I can apply a similar logic to my cataloging project. Ultimately, at its core, metadata serves a key function in how we organize and use data.
What is Metadata?
By now we know that metadata is the data that describes other data. The National Information Standards Organization defines metadata as the information we create, store, and share to describe things, allows us to interact with these things to obtain the knowledge we need. The goal of metadata is to provide information about a file and its contents. In my example, the metadata above and next to the pictures describes elements like location, a narrative for temperature, the person in the photo and the activity being done. Metadata can be used for:
- Web pages
- Audio or video files
- Spreadsheets
- Relational databases
What does metadata contain?
Elements listed in metadata can vary by file type, organization or even industry. Yet there are a few common standards for what a set of metadata can contain.
For instance, elements such as:
- Title – Concise, yet focused description that matches the content of the file.
- Date – Typically this is in reference to the date created. Also other date timestamps like date updated, date last accessed and/or date revised are important in describing any changes to the file over time.
- Creator/owner – Who created this file? This may also be the person users are instructed to go to with questions about the contents of the file.
- Subject/Keywords – Words or phrases that describes the data.
- Permissions – Outlines individuals or groups with access to use the file.
The type of metadata created for your files depends on the purpose. In my example, I was focused on describing the contents of the photos for easy identification in the future.
What are the benefits of metadata?
Our increasing use of data demands that we organize, maintain and store data efficiently for maximum usability. Having a preview into the contents of your data allows you to find what you need quickly, share with others and reduce clutter. Metadata creates a standard of completeness to the data it was created for. Imagine a book without a cover or a table of contents. Data without metadata can feel just as incomplete. Effective metadata is as valuable as the data itself.
Now I want to hear from you. Have you come across examples of metadata recently?
Or is this your first time hearing about metadata?
Either way, let’s chat by leaving me a comment below!
Live abundantly,
Bethany
