Metadataformat

A metadata format is a specification for encoding metadata about digital objects. It defines a set of elements or fields, their semantics, data types, permissible values, and the rules for organizing them, often together with a particular encoding syntax. Metadata formats enable consistent description, exchange, discovery, reuse, and long-term preservation of digital resources.

Metadata can be categorized into descriptive metadata (for identification and discovery), administrative metadata (for rights, provenance, and preservation), and structural metadata (describing relationships and the arrangement of components). A given format typically targets one or more of these aims and is designed to be interoperable across systems.

Common metadata formats include Dublin Core, a simple, widely used set of descriptive elements; MODS, a richer library-oriented schema; MARC, an older but still influential format in bibliography; and METS, which encodes descriptive, administrative, and structural metadata in XML. Preservation-focused formats such as PREMIS describe preservation events and rights metadata. Domain-specific formats exist as well, such as ISO 19115 for geographic information and PBCore for audiovisual materials. Metadata can also be expressed in general-purpose encodings like XML, JSON, or RDF, with crosswalks and mappings between formats to support interoperability.

Practices surrounding metadata formats emphasize schema validation, use of controlled vocabularies, and clear identifiers (URIs). They are widely applied in libraries, archives, museums, scholarly repositories, and digital curation workflows. Metadata formats support metadata harvesting and exchange through protocols like OAI-PMH and through repository interfaces, enabling broader discovery and reuse of digital objects across institutions. The choice of format depends on domain requirements, audience, and the level of detail needed for description and preservation.