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Metadata is data about other data used to describe content and provide documentation. It includes elements like file name, size, and location and is stored at different levels of granularity. Metadata is used in books, photographs, audio files, and web pages to speed up search and identification. It is often formatted in a hierarchical system called a schema and stored in a central location known as a metadata registry.
Metadata is essentially data about other data. Also known as a metalanguage, metadata can be used in any type of media to describe the content of information. The idea behind the metalanguage is to provide documentation or information about a specific piece of data. When a document, image or other type of data is created, some parameters need to be added behind the element as part of the whole file. These can include elements and attributes such as file name, size or type. It can also represent the location or ownership of the file among all other information that needs to be noted about the data content.
Metadata is stored with a file at different levels of granularity. Granularity is essentially how detailed this data is stored. Metadata can be formatted at a low level of granularity where one row of data is established. It can also be more complex, with multiple rows of data stored in a detailed structure such as a database.
Uses of metadata include books, photographs, audio files and web pages. Books will be archived with information such as title, author, publication date and possibly a unique identifier such as the International Standard Book Number (ISBN). Photographs usually include the time and date it was taken. Digital cameras often record data about data in a standardized format that is interchangeable with different brands. Similarly, digital audio files feature album names, song titles, year released, and often genre. Web pages usually contain the most elaborate metalanguage. The Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) that makes up web pages includes everything from simple text to dates and keywords. The metalanguage may include the page header and are georeferenced with coordinates for their location. Even hypertext, which links web pages, uses metalanguage.
The use of metalanguage speeds up the search and identification of many resources. On the internet, data insights help in search queries via web browsers like Google and Yahoo! It allows the user to save time when searching for information. The web browser automatically downloads the metalanguage, making it part of the search process.
Often, metadata is formatted in a hierarchical system called a “schema”. Some data items are used as descriptors for other data items. This system can essentially continue forever in many levels. Data data format is typically stored in a central location known as a metadata registry and helps organizations standardize their data. Most files, however, don’t require such extensive information.
The linguistic origin of metadata comes from the Greek prefix meta which describes being between something.
