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Metadata Documentation

Metadata standards | Controlled Vocabulary | Descriptive metadata best practices

Metadata Standards

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Metadata standards can be selected depends on types of resources and systems where digital resources are stored and accessed. Followings are the metadata standards that are used in library, museum, and archives domains.

1. MODS (Metadata Object Description Schema)

   MODS is developed by Library of Congress. It is considered as a metadata standard that works for any types of resources because of rich semantics.

   • Official MODS (Metadata Object Description Schema) Website
     http://www.loc.gov/standards/mods/
   • DLF Best Practices for MDOS
     http://www.diglib.org/aquifer/dlfmodsimplementationguidelines_finalnov2006.pdf

    

2. Dublin Core

   Dublin Core is one of the most used metadata standards. There are two formats of Dublin Core, Simple and Qualified (Terms).

   • Official Dublin Core Site
     http://dublincore.org/

    

3. EAD (Encoded Archival Description)

   The Encoded Archival Description (EAD) standard is used by digital libraries to create machine-readable finding aids. Please find following links for more information.

   • Official EAD Site
     http://www.loc.gov/ead/
   • EAD Help Page
     http://www.archivists.org/saagroups/ead/
   • EAD Application Guidelines
     http://www.loc.gov/ead/ag/aghome.html

    

4. VRA Core (Visual Resources Association Core Categories)

   VRA is a metadata standard for the visual resources. Please find the following link for the detailed information. The link includes:

   • The MARC mapping
     http://www.vraweb.org/vracore3.htm
   • VRA Core Categories, Version 3.0
     http://www.vraweb.org/vracore3.htm

    

5. CDWA (Categories for the Description of Arts)

   CDWA is used for describing and accessing information about works of art, architecture, other material culture, groups and collections of works, and related images.

   • http://www.getty.edu/research/conducting_research/standards/cdwa/index.html
   • Generally the CDWA is used in museum community and CDWA and VRA use CCO (Cataloging Cultural Objects)
     http://www.vrafoundation.org/ccoweb/index.htm as its content standards.

    

Metadata standards | Controlled Vocabulary | Descriptive metadata best practices

Controlled Vocabulary

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Controlled vocabulary has an important role in searching and browsing functions. Using controlled vocabulary is strongly recommended when the field information will be used in searching and browsing. Controlled vocabulary can be locally created, but should be managed and used in consistent way. Below is the list of controlled vocabularies.

1. Country name

   • MARC Code List for Countries
     http://www.loc.gov/marc/countries/
   • ISO 3166
     http://www.iso.ch/iso/en/prods-services/iso3166ma/index.html

    

2. Language

   • MARC Code List for Languages
     http://www.loc.gov/marc/languages/
   • RFC3066
     http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc3066.txt

    

3. Format

   • Internet Media types
     www.iana.org/assignments/media-types/index.html
   • MARC Source Code for Form
     http://www.loc.gov/marc/sourcecode/form/formsource.html
   • MODS <note> Types<
     http://www.loc.gov/standards/mods/mods-notes.html

4. Type

   • DCMI Type
     http://dublincore.org/documents/dcmi-type-vocabulary/

    

5. Subject

   • Library of Congress Subject Headings
     http://www.loc.gov/cds/lcsh.html
   • Medical Subject Headings
     http://www.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/
   • Gem Controlled Vocabulary
     http://www.thegateway.org/help/about/documentation/gem-controlled-vocabularies/vocabulary-subject
   • Getty Art & Architecture Thesaurus
     http://www.getty.edu/vow/AATSearchPage.jsp
   • Getty Thesaurus of geographic names
     http://www.getty.edu/research/conducting_research/vocabularies/tgn/?find=&place=coal+city&nation=&prev_page=1&english=Y&popup=P
   • Library of Congress  Thesaurus for Geographic Materials I
     http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/tgm1/
   • Library of Congress  Thesaurus for Geographic Materials II
     http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/tgm2/

Draft 02/03/09 mj

Metadata standards | Controlled Vocabulary | Descriptive metadata best practices

For comments on this page contact: Gail Hueting

Last modified by: Myung-Ja Han on 5/22/09