What is Metadata?

Metadata is data about data. It offers details about other data and aids data analysts in understanding the information included in a database when it comes to database administration. The who, what, when, where, which, how, and why of data are revealed through its metadata.

Metadata is what is being communicated about the data.

What are Elements of metadata?

Title

Description

When the data was created

Who created the data

Why and how the data was created and how it is organized

The data categories and tags

Data Modification and Changelogs (history of changes)

Data Acess Permissions and Rules

Public or closed Data rules

Examples of metadata

A typical example of metadata that everyone can easily see is information everytime a photo is captured: the date created, the gps location, its file size, the file number or name etc.

Likewise everytime data is created, metadata is produced. The readMe file within a document that you downloaded is a form of metadata, personal notes inside a folder is also another form of metadata.

Every web page has a number of common information fields, including tags and categories, the name of the website’s creator, the title and description of the page, the creation date, and any iconography.

Metadata is not just digital, metadata is found everywhere. Look inside the cover of your book, for example, you will find the ISBN number, it’s publication date, the legal copyrights, the table of content, the summary etc.

In Conclusion

It is crucial to understand the purpose, context, and structure of your data. The big picture should always be understood while looking at facts. The information you are viewing is important, but so is the way that information is put together. You can find, use, preserve, and reuse data in the future thanks to metadata. Keep in mind that it will be your obligation to maintain and utilize all of the data; metadata is just as crucial as the data itself.