LibGuides: Research Data Management: Describing Data (Metadata)

Describing Data (Metadata)

Clear description and documentation of data is important for project management, discoverability, sharing, and reproducibility.

Metadata is structured descriptive information about an object. Metadata helps to

Metadata is used to describe many types of objects, including:

Metadata is typically divided into three main categories:

Descriptive: describes the data, providing basic facts -- author, title, keywords, abstract
Structural: describes the data's components and how they are related -- format, process
Administrative: describes the management of the data -- rights management, copyright permissions, required software, provenance

NIH Common Data Elements Repository
The NIH Common Data Elements (CDE) Repository provides access to structured human and machine-readable definitions of data elements that have been recommended or required by NIH Institutes and Centers and other organizations for use in research and for other purposes.
DataONE: Best Practices for Describing Data
Best practices, tips, and techniques for effectively describing data.
Metadata Standards Catalog
The RDA Metadata Standards Catalog is a collaborative, open directory of metadata standards applicable to research data.