Discrete Criteria for Selecting and Comparing Metadata Schemes

Abstract

T his article lists and describes the twelve chief points of comparison among the different metadata schemes available. Before implementing a metadata scheme, digital libraries or individual domains or or-ganizations must decide on which one to use. Knowing the chief points of comparison among the schemes available can simplify this selec-tion process. Some organizations have chosen to create new, home-grown schemes instead of implementing an existing one, when an exist-ing scheme may have been adequate for their needs. However, an organization planning to create a new metadata scheme could also use the points described here as a guide for devel-oping the specifications of the new scheme. Knowing the points of comparison among existing metadata schemes is also valuable when an institution is evaluating the effective-ness of a scheme already in use. Because the metadata scheme landscape is still relatively new, and because some schemes are likely to increase or decrease in popularity or effective-ness in response to changes in information technology, libraries and organizations ought to regularly examine the schemes they have in use to determine whether the scheme is still meet-ing their needs. Libraries and organizations should use the criteria we describe here in terms of the needs of their particular application of the metadata, that is, the needs of the library or organization and the needs of the users of the data the metadata describes. The following is a list and description of twelve criteria for comparing metadata schemes.