What is Metadata?
Metadata is a description of the content, quality, lineage, contact, condition, and other characteristics of data.
The description of the data is organized in a standardized format using a common set of terms. Metadata is literally
"data about data". Metadata records are similar in concept to library catalog records: details about a book such as
title, author, and publisher are recorded in a standard way to ease the search for information.
Biological metadata records work in the same way: information is recorded in a standardized format about a data set
(content, quality, condition, and more) for use and analysis. Metadata ultimately makes information about data sets more
easily accessible to scientists and researchers.
Metadata is a valuable tool. Metadata records preserve the usefulness of data over time by detailing
methods for data collection and data set creation. Metadata greatly minimize duplication of effort in the collection of
expensive digital data and foster sharing of digital data resources. Metadata supports local data asset management such as
local inventory and data catalogs, and external user communities such as Clearinghouses and websites. It provides
adequate guidance for end-use application of data such as detailed lineage and context. Metadata makes it possible for data
users to search, retrieve, and evaluate data set information from the NBII's vast network of biological databases by
providing standardized descriptions of geospatial and biological data.
The NBII offers an extenisve array of metadata resources. Explore the links below and find resources for your
organization to use.
