Perceived Helpfulness of Dublin Core Semantics: An Empirical Study

Abstract

In an experimental study, 120 participants randomly assigned to two groups were asked to rate the helpfulness of the Dublin Core elements definitions and guidelines while creating metadata records. In contrast to previous studies, findings reveal that participants had problems understanding definitions for the whole element set specified by Dublin Core. This study also reveals that careful attention should be given to the clarity of guidelines as well to ensure correct application of Dublin Core elements. © Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2013.