-Metadata is structured information that describes, explains, locates, or otherwise makes it easier to retrieve, use, or manage an information resource (NISO 2004, ISBN: 1-880124-62-9). The challenge is to define and name standard metadata fields so that a data consumer has sufficient information to process and understand the described data. The more information that can be conveyed in a standardized regular format, the more valuable data becomes. Metadata can range from basic to advanced, from allowing one to discover the mere fact that a certain data asset exists and is about a general subject all the way to providing detailed information documenting the structure, processing history, quality, relationships, and other properties of a dataset. Making metadata machine readable greatly increases its utility, but requires more detailed standardization, defining not only field names, but how information is encoded in the metadata fields.
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