Week 5 nformation Organization by Database, Metadata

      Database. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Database 

Whew! This Wiki article is not the kind I have come to know and love. What did it say? No really, this article really broke down the function of the database and how it recognizes and categorizes bits of information and stores it. I found it more technical than I was comfortable with and I am thankful there is no test.  Certainly this was a place to go to reference database structures and models.

  Anne J. Gilliland. Introduction to Metadata, pathways to Digital Information: 1: Setting the Stage 

http://www.getty.edu/research/conducting_research/standards/intrometadata/setting.html

Metadata “data about data” This writing, I could understand, although technical and more information than I ever wanted to know, it was broken down succinctly and clearly. All data whether complex or singular have three components “-content context and structure” These three features allow the data to be organized and retrieved because of standard structure of expression.  The author used cataloging as an example and one I could relate to. Never having to have made the decisions for cataloging it certainly is necessary for the retrieval process to have order and categories.

Metadata traditionally in museums has been largely by context, but consensus and collaboration using descriptors is rising. There is a wide array of standards and approaches. The Dublin Core Metadata Element Set (DCMES) using a smaller set of generic elements can be used by any group expert or non expert. Everyday users are contributing to the metadata form through various personal and social web content identifiers. Folksonomies and tagging are specialized tools that broaden the retrieval capabilities.

Metadata is important to us as future librarians and archivists in the way we search and use information.

  Eric J. Miller. An Overview of the Dublin Core Data Model 

http://dublincore.org/1999/06/06-overview/,

Miller’s article is a work in progress but he has laid out a concise description and breakdown of the DCMI. Essentially this system is based primarily on semantic identifiers and common qualifiers. There can never be one set of identifying descriptors. The DCMI is a continuation of  the resource  Description Language. I really don’t understand this well enough to discuss. I understand data and the need to categorize and retrieve but I don’t feel able to interpret this paper in a coherent way. To me it is referencing and cross referencing down to a minute format.