Metadata is in its simplest definition “data about data”. It provides information about the attributes and characteristics of digital resources in a formal and machine-readable structure. (5)(6)
Descriptive metadata primarily describes the content and context of a resource (e.g. title, abstract, author, publishing institution) for purposes such as discovery and identification. (5)(6)
Technical metadata informs about the creation, conversion, and formatting of digital objects (e.g. file name, file size, file format). (5)
Structural metadata indicates how the components of a digital information resource are organised and related so that the resource can be reconstructed and made available for use. (5)
Administrative metadata provides information to help manage a resource, such as the origin of digital objects (e.g. creation, acquisition), the measures taken to preserve them (e.g. software, logs, methods, author), persistent identifiers (e.g. DOIs), contractual arrangements for archiving, and information on rights. (5)(6)
Sources:
(5) PUBLISSO. Metadata in digital preservation [Internet]. [cited 2023 Dec 15]. Available from: https://www.publisso.de/en/digital-preservation/dp-metadata
(6) National Information Standards Organization (NISO). Understanding Metadata [Internet]. 2001 [cited 2023 Dec 15]. Available from: https://web.archive.org/web/20141107022958/http:/www.niso.org/publications/press/UnderstandingMetadata.pdf