metadatastruktuuri

Metadatastruktuuri refers to the organization and schema used to describe metadata about digital resources. It defines how metadata elements are named, typed, related, and serialized, enabling consistent description, discovery, and interoperability across information systems. The structure distinguishes metadata about resources from the resources themselves and supports both human understanding and machine processing.

A metadatastruktuuri typically includes elements such as identifiers, titles, creators, dates, formats, subjects, and rights, as well as relationships between resources. It also involves controlled vocabularies, authority files, namespaces, and rules for data types, cardinality, and provenance. The design aims to support accurate search, retrieval, and long‑term preservation or exchange of metadata.

Standards and schemas commonly used to define metadatastruktuuri include Dublin Core, PREMIS for preservation metadata, ISO 19115/19139 for geospatial information, MODS and METS for complex or packaged records, and RDF/OWL for linked data. Metadata can be serialized in formats such as XML, JSON-LD, RDF, or CSV, and may be embedded in objects or stored externally in databases and repositories. Linkages to external vocabularies and ontologies, such as SKOS, enhance interoperability.

Metadatastruktuuri is central to libraries, archives, museums, and data repositories, supporting description, discovery, rights management, and long‑term access. It involves governance, quality control, and transformation workflows, including crosswalks between schemas and ongoing updates as standards evolve. Common challenges include ensuring consistency, completeness, multilingual support, and version management.