Unlocking potential: Harnessing the power of metadata for discoverability and accessibility

Abstract

Metadata plays a crucial role in organizing, discovering, and accessing publications and products. This paper explores the complex metadata ecosystem and its impact on downstream functions. Focusing on author-provided metadata, it addresses the challenges faced by authors in terms of discoverability, and offers best practices for optimizing metadata. The paper also discusses publication-level metadata standards and related initiatives. It highlights the importance of KBART files for linking subscription products and explores the three types of linking in discovery services. Additionally, it emphasizes the role of metadata in search engine optimization and social media. The paper explores how metadata can enhance accessibility and emphasizes the need for collaboration across various teams and systems. Overall, it underscores the ongoing efforts to build robust metadata pipelines and improve the user experience in information discovery and interchange.