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Metainformation provides general details about a larger body of information. It serves as a teaser and entices readers to move forward. Metainformation is based on data, information, and knowledge. It has been around for centuries and is used in titles, subjects, and synopses.
Metainformation is simply little bits of information about information. The primary function of metainformation is to provide some general detail about the focus and content of a larger body of more complete information. In the context of the emerging field of knowledge management, the perimeters for qualifying a particular segment as metainformation have become quite well defined.
In essence, metainformation or metadata often serve as a precursor or synopsis of the data and information contained in a larger body of detail. For example, the body of a term paper should be understood as containing data and information. However, the article’s topic title, description, or synopsis, or any kind of overview would be considered meta information.
In a way, metainformation serves as a teaser for what’s to come. Common items that are classified as metainformation provide a glimpse into what the larger body of information is, without revealing a great deal of fact. Thus, the use of metainformation is usually a device to entice the reader to move forward and start reading the larger work.
The construction of metainformation is often based on all the elements identified within the discipline of knowledge management. Metainformation will use data, which are simply components of fact. Information, which is essentially conclusions drawn from the data presented, may also partially inform the structure of metainformation. Finally, the knowledge component is also often included. Knowledge in this context is understood as the component that involves the use of data and information to project an outcome.
While the actual identification of titles, subjects, and the use of a synopsis as metainformation is a relatively new phenomenon, the concept has been around for centuries. Many authors choose to make titles somewhat descriptive, especially in academic research papers. The use of a simple one or two sentence synopsis is common in many scientific and business documents. Certainly, the idea of drawing conclusions and using the included data to project future events is also a common element of written works over the centuries. Understanding these literary constructs in terms of metainformation simply makes it easier to identify these commonalities in terms that are easily understood in today’s world.
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