Edward Steffen Morrow Jr.
Metadata for Digital Resources
Reading Reflection: Assignment 1
September 14, 2014
Reference to this Article
Miller, S. J., & 10th International Conference on Dublin Core and
Metadata Applications, DC-2010. (December 01, 2010). The one-to-one
principle: Challenges in current practice. Proceedings of the International Conference on Dublin Core and Metadata Applications, 150-164.
A couple of things come to mind after reading the Miller article.
My thoughts (opinions) center on accepted wisdom of standards, competency, and
required skills. I like the 1:1 principle. It fits with what I want to see on
the Internet. I hold a strong opinion that each resource should be described as
a single entity, and every resource should have its own description. Each item
should have a separate metadata record. Of the example in the article, I like
the options 1 (page 155) and 2 (page 155 – 156). However, these options are not
gold standards in my opinion. I think they are appropriate substitutions and
fit best with workflows. Despite their drawbacks, I see these options as good
teaching example of how-to-create metadata to describe resources.
I see a better solution driven from the examples given in
the article as well as from the comments of the author. In my opinion, the
major stakeholders need to convene and come to an agreement on what are best
practices for resource description. This agreement should take place via open
source documentation and group collaboration governed by a working task force.
The goal of this task force is to create a set of standards for resource
description grounded in the 1:1 principle and submit this documentation to the
National Standards Institute and the International Standards Organization. This
documentation should include new necessities for OAI harvesting whereby the
harvesting protocols flag ambiguous metadata for correction and clarification.
The OAI harvesting protocols need fixing, so they do not allow ambiguous
metadata into the record. The system should have a set of checks and balances
that explicitly state and identify when the 1:1 principle is violated as well
as identifying the ambiguous metadata.
I also believe that the time has come to require specific
training in the 1:1 principle. This training should be at the bedrock of all
metadata creation documentation. The 1:1 principle should be a gold standard
that all software has to meet based on NSI and ISO certification requirements.
In other words, new digital resource platform software should be rooted in the
1:1 principle. Stakeholders should only use software certified by the NSI or
ISO that is 1:1 certified. Old software that does not meet the 1:1 principle
needs to be phased out by a selected target date. My idea may seem like a
radical approach. In my opinion, the future of the Internet depends on it for
reasons of integrity, quality, and efficiency.
I also feel that the individuals charged with describing
resources on the Internet should be required to have the appropriate training
and or certification in the 1:1 principle. Consequently, resources identified
in a fashion that does not follow the 1:1 principle should be explicitly
identified as violating the standard so users can make better-informed
judgments about the quality of the metadata.
I like how the book clarifies that metadata is a human
construct with multiple components. In addition, I understand that metadata is
a tool humankind uses to make sense of the information on the Internet. I also
appreciate that metadata is a structured use of language and that metadata
schemes exist to impart order to the chaos everyday language imparts when used
for descriptive purposes. I do like Dublin Core, but it has many limitations
when it used to describe resources with multiple manifestations. In this case,
more than one manifestation. I like that Dublin Core offers customization
options to create new elements. However, I found the creation of new elements
made me really question and ponder how an item is described. My thoughts often
delved into the metaphysical realm. I found myself drawing diagrams and bubble
maps to put boundaries and connections between the words I wanted to use to
describe a particular resource. The act of creating a metadata element with
paired values is an art as well as a science in my opinion. It is an action
where ignorance can produce unintended effects.
I feel metadata creation and its study is a worthwhile
topic. It is a core component of digital resources and worth exploring. The
Internet needs people who are skilled in the creation of quality metadata. I
look forward to learning more about metadata and its application it to digital
and analog resources.
