metadataista

Metadataista is a term used in information science to describe a professional who specializes in metadata—the data that describes other data—and its management, standardization, and use within organizations. The word combines metadata with the -ista suffix to signal expertise or practice. The term originated in digital libraries and data governance communities in the 2010s and has since spread to libraries, archives, museums, and data-driven industries.

Core responsibilities of a metadataista include designing metadata schemas, selecting and mapping metadata standards (such as Dublin Core, schema.org, PREMIS, METS, and MARC), and establishing policies for metadata creation, quality control, and preservation. They work on data catalogs, repository systems, and digital collections to improve discovery, interoperability, and long-term access. They also engage in metadata transformation, normalization, and ontology development to support semantic search and data integration.

Required skills typically include knowledge of metadata standards and encoding formats, data modeling, thesauri and controlled vocabularies, and experience with semantic web technologies (RDF, OWL). Proficiency in data governance, project management, and scripting for ETL processes is common. Familiarity with cataloging practices in libraries and with repository platforms (for example, Fedora, DSpace, or archival management systems) is advantageous.

Metadataistas contribute to data reuse, reproducibility in research, and compliance with information governance or privacy regulations. Challenges include maintaining consistency across heterogeneous data sources, scaling metadata for large datasets, and balancing descriptive richness with performance. The role often overlaps with data stewards, information architects, and data curators.

See also: metadata, data governance, library science, digital libraries, metadata standards.