metametadata

Metametadata is metadata about metadata. It describes metadata records themselves rather than the objects those records describe, providing information on how metadata was created, by whom, when, under what schema, and how it has been updated or maintained. Metametadata supports assessment of metadata reliability, provenance, interoperability, and governance within information ecosystems.

Typical components of metametadata include provenance information (origin of the metadata, responsible agents, timestamps), schema and versioning (which metadata standard or profile was used, version numbers), scope and coverage (what resources or records the metadata describes), quality and completeness indicators (missing fields, accuracy checks, validation results), lineage and transformation history (derivation or normalization steps, source metadata), and maintenance details (update frequency, retention policy, custodianship).

Applications span digital libraries, data catalogs, and preservation workflows. In these contexts metametadata enables users and systems to evaluate the trustworthiness of metadata, trace its origins, and determine compatibility between metadata records and their descriptive objects. Metametadata can also facilitate metadata interoperability by recording mappings between schemas and versions. In preservation and archival environments, metametadata may accompany preservation metadata to document how preservation metadata itself was created and how it should be maintained over time.

Relation to broader concepts is direct: metametadata is distinct from metadata about the object level metadata it describes and is often linked to metadata standards and governance practices. Commonly referenced areas include provenance modeling (PROV-O), preservation metadata frameworks (such as PREMIS), and descriptive schemas (Dublin Core, schema.org), with metametadata enabling more reliable, auditable metadata ecosystems.