Metadata Crosswalks

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Metadata Crosswalks

• Presented by
• Mary Ruvane
• Plato Smith

2
What is Metadata?

• Data about Data
• Facilitates identification, representation,
  interoperability, technical management,
  performance, and use of data in an information
  system
• Numerous standards exist

3
World Wide Web MetadataDublin Core (DC)

• Intent
• simple, user friendly standard for any resource
• Collaborative effort
• librarians, digital library researchers, markup
  language and knowledge experts via metadata
  working group initiatives and workshop series
• 15 core required elements

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Encoded Archival DescriptionEAD

• Encoding scheme for archive library finding
  aids
• primarily intended for inventories registers
• Finding aids point to related resources
• text electronic documents, visual materials,
  sound recordings
• Contains 145 elements not all required
• Attributes associated with most elements
• general, linking, tabular display

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Library Metadata USMARC MARC 21

• Machine Readable Cataloging Primarily used by
  libraries
• Developed by Library of Congress
• Intent improve sharing of catalogue resources
  between all libraries
• Aids in online public access to bibliographic
  records
• Numerous elements used for descriptors

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Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata
CSDGM

• Used for locating geographical related data
• Federal Agencies mandated to use
• Core sections multiple elements
• Metadata Distribution Information
• Identification Information Metadata Reference
  Information
• Data Quality Information Citation Information
• Spatial Data Organization Information Time
  Period Information
• Entity and Attribute Information Contact
  Information

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Data Documentation Initiative DDI

• Metadata for social behavioral science
  community
• Developed largely through ICPSR
• Inter-University for Consortium for Political
  Social Research
• Core sections multiple elements
• Document Description
• Study Description
• Data Files Description
• Variables Description
• Other Study-Related Materials

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Why is Metadata Important?

• Increased accessibility
• Retains context / relationships
• Expands use / global access possible
• Facilitates multi-versioning
• Addresses legal concerns
• Makes preservation possible
• Aids in system improvements

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What is a Metadata Crosswalk?

• A map associating elements between standards
• DC gt MARC and GILS
• DC gt EAD
• USMARC gt EAD
• FGDC gt USMARC
• DDI gt DC gt MARC 21
• Facilitates on-line resource sharing
• multiple formats accessible via crosswalk mapping
• Supports conversion efforts
• obsolete systems, improved database searching

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Crosswalk Examples

• DC to EAD USMARC to EAD http//www.getty.edu/res
  earch/institute/standards/intrometadata/3_crosswal
  ks/index.html
• DC to MARC 21
• http//lcweb.loc.gov/marc/dccross.html
• MARC to DC
• http//lcweb.loc.gov/marc/marc2dc.html
• USMARC to FGDC
• http//www.alexandria.ucsb.edu/public-documents/m
  etadata/marc2fgdc.html
• FGDC to USMARC
• http//www.alexandria.ucsb.edu/public-documents/m
  etadata/fgdc2marc.html
• DDI to DC to MARC 21 http//www.icpsr.umich.edu/DD
  I/CODEBOOK/marc21.html

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Crosswalk Challenges

• Mapping comparables
• no equivalent element
• multiple fields to one element, vice versa
• Element format variations
• free text vs. fixed length
• Minimizing conversion loss
• manual process (error logs) vs. loss compromise
• Misinterpretation of element use
• forcing data into inappropriate fields

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Crosswalk Resources

• Metadata Crosswalks Standards
• http//www.sinica.edu.tw/metadata/tool/mapping-fo
  reign.html
• Auto-generation Tools
• Nordic Metadata Project (converts DC to
  MARC)http//www.bibsys.no/meta/d2m/
• DC-dot extracts, validates metadata from HTML
  resources MS files http//www.ukoln.ac.uk/metada
  ta/dcdot/
• Other tools/resources (auto metadata generation)
• Klarity
• Scorpion
• Nordic URN generator

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Internet Implementation Tools

• RDF Resource Description Framework
• A standard for processing and storing metadata to
  facilitate interoperability among disparate
  applications on the Web
• XML Extensible Mark up Language
• Human-readable, machine-understandable, general
  syntax for describing hierarchical data,
  applicable to a wide range of applications
• DTD Document Type Definitions
• Formal specification of structural elements and
  markup definitions used in encoding specific SGML
  documents

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Questions

• Do you think academic institutions,
  organizations, and knowledge content providers
  will ever agree on a new universal metadata
  standard?
• If a new universal standard were adopted, what
  problems would this cause to existing metadata
  formats currently in use?

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References

• Getty Research Institute http//www.getty.edu/rese
  arch/institute/standards/
• Dublin Core (DC) http//dublincore.org/
• EAD http//lcweb.loc.gov/ead/
• MAchine Readable Cataloging (MARC)
  http//www.loc.gov/marc/
• Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC)
  http//www.fgdc.gov/metadata/metadata.html
• Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata
  (CSDGM) http//www.fgdc.gov/metadata/contstan.html
  
• Government Information Locator Service
• http//www.gils.net/prof_v2.html
• Data Documentation Initiative (DDI)
  http//www.icpsr.umich.edu/DDI/ORG/

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Thank You

• Please provide additional feedback, comments, or
  suggestions for improvements via email
• Mary Ruvane ruvam_at_ils.unc.edu
• Plato Smith smithpl_at_email.unc.edu