One element of data documentation is the description of the data, known as metadata. Metadata refers to the information used to describe an item's attributes in a standardised format e.g. the author's name and title of a book in a library catalogue.
Creating metadata will:
Metadata can be made available without sharing the dataset.
The Edina Data Centre has created a video which explains metadata through a range of examples.
Providing sufficient information and standardised descriptions to highlight the key aspects of the research data will:
The use of controlled terms, or consistent and predefined terminologies for describing and organising information will:
Essential elements to consider when describing your data:
Additional highly desirable elements:
We would like to acknowledge the contribution made by Curtin University Library to this page.