Metadata is data about data – it provides descriptive, structural and contextual information about a piece of data, file, or system to make it easier to understand, organise and retrieve.
Types of Metadata
Descriptive Metadata
Provides information about the content to help identify and locate it. Examples:
- Title, author, keywords (for a document)
- Filename, file type, size (for a digital file)
- Camera model, location, date (for a photo)
Structural Metadata
Defines how data is organised and related to other data. Examples:
- Chapters in a book
- Table of contents in a document
- Relationships between database tables
Administrative Metadata
Helps manage files, rights and technical details. Examples:
- File creation date, modification history
- Copyright information, licensing
- Data storage format
Examples of Metadata in Everyday Use
- Web Pages:
- Meta tags (title, description, keywords) help with SEO and improve search engine rankings.
- Photos:
- Metadata includes the camera settings (shutter speed, ISO), location (GPS coordinates) and date taken.
- Music Files:
- Track name, artist, album, genre and release year are stored as metadata.
- Emails:
- Sender, recipient, timestamp and subject line are metadata.