Guide

7 golden rules for describing your metadata

Published on 28.01.2022

We studied the requirements of these 5 professions and took inspiration from the famous 5Ws method used by journalists to come up with our 7 golden rules for describing metadata.

  • Metadata should provide a dataset with context
  • Metadata should make a dataset unique
  • Metadata should provide the framework for subsequent uses of a dataset
  • Metadata should make you want to reuse a dataset
  • Metadata should offer reassurance regarding the reliability of a dataset
  • Metadata should allow for a dataset to be found by search engines
  • Metadata should ensure the longevity of a dataset
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Describing metadata is a balancing act that requires several areas of expertise. You must be a librarian, a journalist, an archivist, an SEO specialist, and even a lawyer, all at the same time.

By following these 7 golden rules, your datasets will be discoverable, reusable, and interoperable. To make your metadata as pertinent as possible, we also offer general recommendations and best practices.