LIS 60637
Kent State University - iSchool

Metadata Architectures and Implementations

Instructor: Marcia Lei Zeng, Ph.D., Professor

Textbook's Open Website (off Blackboard or Canvas): https://metadataetc.org/book-website3rd/

Updated: 2024-01

Course Description

Principles and theories of metadata development in the digital environment. Main focus is given to the design and applications of metadata schemas for distinct domains and information communities, issues in metadata interoperability, vocabulary control, quality control and evaluation. Examination of international standards, activities, and projects with the use of case study approach.

Course Goals

Metadata is a critical mechanism in digital information management and services. It has broad applications in many domains hence numerous international and community standards have been developed and implemented. This course introduces concepts, principles, functional requirements, and practices of metadata, with an emphasis on metadata implementations in library, archive, and museum (LAM) communities. Combined with extensive hands-on practices, the course covers the application as well as the design of metadata element sets and schemas, data exchange formats, and value vocabularies. It examines the practices and issues of metadata services, interoperability, quality control and evaluation, as well as trends and practices in Linked Data development.

Student Learning Outcomes

After completing the course, students will be able to:

1. describe the principles, concepts, and types of metadata;
2. self-explore various metadata standards in specific domains and write professional level fact sheets to introduce and explain these standards;
3. apply selected metadata standards to the creation of metadata descriptions, with or without computer programs;
4. develop metadata element sets or application profiles through designing, evaluating, and modifying metadata elements according to local needs;
5. create and implement controlled vocabularies for metadata value spaces;
6. analyze and discuss different issues in the applications of metadata standards in a larger context of a project, a community, and society; reflecting these understandings in the group project and the individual's final project.

Textbook Zeng, Marcia Lei and Jian Qin. 2022. Metadata. 3rd. -Chicago: ALA & Neal-Schuman. ISBN:978-0-8389-4875-0|&| London: FACET Publishing ISBN 9781783305889 E-version of the 2nd edition has been available since 2020. E-version of the 3rd edition has been available since 2024. [Textbook available through Kentlink (e-book or hardcopy)]. Textbook Reference Website: https://metadataetc.org/book-website3rd Or go to:  https://www.metadataetc.org for the 3rd ed. and 2nd. ed.

Note: Please move the mouse pointer over the image to see the schedule.

 

Course Outline and Materials

Learning Modules (15 weeks)

COURSE OUTLINE/SCHEDULE Tentative Learning Modules (Please check each learning module on Canvas for details)
Date	Topics	Readings; [Standards]; Additional Refs.	Assignments & tools
Pre-class	About the course		0a. Introduce yourself to the class   What to do: Post your intro in the General Discussion Board of the class. 0b. Sign-in sheet  What to submit:  Sign-in sheet.
Week 1	Introduction Metadata basics Metadata types and functions A typology of metadata standards Metadata descriptions – examples FAIR principles for (meta)data	Reading: Chapter 1 Additional Refs: . Chapter 1 resources on website . Appendixes on website   Try Tool: FOAF-a-Matic.	1a. Quiz for Chapter 1 (open book) 1c. Group discussions: What to do: Compare and analyze a variety of metadata instances; Post your findings in group’s discussion space.
Week 2	Metadata vocabularies Overview · Standards for data structures · Components and structure Element Sets · Case: Dublin Core	Reading: Ch. 2.1.1; 2.1.2 Standard: [Dublin Core (DC) ] DCMI Today YouTube Additional Refs: · Darwin Core schema [XML] & p.439, Chapter 10.3.3. · Value vocabularies for date, language, media type [Appendix]	2a: DC fact sheet What to submit: a fact sheet. 2b: Creating metadata descriptions using DC 1.1 What to submit: a record.  Tool: DC template. 2c.  Group discussions: What to do:  Exam the output formats: (text; HTML; XML; RDF TTL) and share your notes.
Week 3	(cont.) Metadata vocabularies   Element Sets · Case: VRA Core 4.0 · Examples of metadata descriptions using VRA Core   XML coding tutorial	Reading: Ch. 2.1.3 Standard: [VRA Core 4.0] Additional Refs: · Ch. 10.2 · Standards: · [CDWA, CCO] · [AAT, ULAN, TGN] · Technology: W3C School XML tutorials	3b. Option 1: Creating VRA Core records  What to submit: two records. Tool: a VRA template (WORD file). Tool: Oxygen XML Editor . 3b. Option 2: Analyzing VRA Core records  What to submit: your report. 3c. Class discussions What to post: Your notes.
Week   4	(cont.) Metadata vocabularies   Application Profiles (AP) · Concept of AP · Examples   Ontologies as metadata vocabularies   Case: Schema.org   A vocabulary that you choose to study	Reading: Ch. 2.2; 2.3 Standards: · [FOAF]  & Ch.2.3.3 · [Schema.org] & Ch.2.3.4 Additional Refs: · Ch. 10.3-10.9 · Ch.10 Links to Sources  on website.	4a. Fact sheet & example(s) of a selected standard (Pick one standard from Chapter 10.3-10.8) What to submit:  a fact sheet, one example of a metadata description record with the explanations. 4b. Set up your WorldCat account follow the instruction (for an incoming week’s ContentDM use) What to submit: Your WorldCat account name, if it is different from what I set up for you. Login and test. 4c. Group discussions What to post: Share your fact sheet with examples (same as 4a); study another one posted in your group.
Week  5	(cont.) Metadata vocabularies   RDF Vocabularies for Metadata Terms  · RDF Primer · RDFa Basics   --RDFa embedded in a webpage Case: DCMI Metadata Terms	Reading: Ch. 2.4 Standard: [DCMI Terms] & User Guide Additional Refs: · W3C RDF 1.1 Primer. Try tools: RDF validator RDF format convertor Google Structured Data Testing Tool RDFa-Play	5b.  Create structured data for an online biography in RDFa What to submit: The result(s). Tool: Bio template, RDFa/Play 5c. Group discussions What to post: RDF concepts I learned.
Week  6	Metadata Descriptions (“records”) Basic units Knowing the difference Level of granularity Sources of metadata Case: METS	Reading: Ch. 3.1-3.6 Standard: [METS] Additional Refs: . Ch. 3 References . Cataloging Cultural Objects (CCO) [Lectures from LIS 60635 Cultural Heritage Informatics course] . ContentDM training, OCLC	6a. Using ContentDM Tool: ContentDM What to submit:  2 records.   6c. Group discussions What to post: Introduce one of the ContentDM collections.
Week  7      & Week  8	Metadata Structures and Semantics Modeling metadata Developing a Metadata Element Set and/or an Application Profile for: -option 1, Post cards, -option 2, Adoptable Pets Registry, -option 3, Smart phones	Reading: Ch. 4.1--4.3 Additional Refs: Guidelines for Dublin Core Application Profiles	8a. Developing an element set/ Application Profile (part I) What to submit: Draft of desired metadata elements for the collection  8c. Group discussions What to post: My tips and questions.
Week 9	(cont.) Metadata Structures and Semantics   Value spaces and value vocabularies   Crosswalks   Best practice guides	Reading: Ch. 4.4--4.7 Standards of value vocabs -see Appendixes on textbook’s website Crosswalks: . Metadata Standards Crosswalks (Getty GRI) . MARC to DC crosswalk . LODE-BD – Appendix: a cross mapping to Schema.org	9a. Developing an element set / Application Profile (part II) What to submit: Final specification. 9b.  Creating metadata descriptions using your own AP What to submit: 2 records 9c. Class discussions What to post: Share your final specification and 2 records (same as 9a and 9b results).
Week 10	Expressing Metadata (HTML; XML; RDF/XML, etc.)   Metadata Storage and Expression · Internal storage  -Case: IBM websites · External storage -Case: DBpedia  Expression Metadata --Encoding formats HTML XML RDF/XML and other RDF Serialization Formats	Reading: Ch. 3.7 Standards: Ch. 10.1.2 [MODS, MARC family] W3C Standards: [HTML; XML; RDF concepts and Abstract Syntax ; RDF/XML syntax] Additional Refs: Try: W3C Markup Validation Service Tutorial: Introducing RDF/XML	10a. Using Oxygen XML Editor Or Using ContentDM Export XML Function  Tool: Oxygen XML Editor  &/or ContentDM   10c. Group discussions What to post: My experience with XML so far.
Week  11	Metadata Schemas   Background Schema encoding Examples of XML schemas for metadata standards / application profiles	Reading: Ch. 5 Standards: · [EAD 3 Schema] (WEBSITE led to formats available as DTD, RNG, & XSD] · vCard Ontology [WEBSITE] Additional Refs: Readings: Ch. 10.	11a. A Metadata schema ready for implementation -Option 1: Create an XML schema using Oxygen and test it. What to submit: (1) The XML schema you created (xml file or screenshots) (2)A metadata XML record you created (xml file or screenshots) -Option 2: Implement your AP on ContentDM and test it. What to submit: (1) A link to, or screenshots of, your ContentDM Field properties page.  (2) Link(s) to your ContentDM record(s). -Option 3: Create an ontology using Protégé and test it. What to submit: (1) The ontology you created (zip file or screenshots) (2)An instance you created (in the zip file or give screenshots) 11c. Group discussions What to post: My experience of developing a metadata schema.
Week 12 & Week 13	Metadata Services Overview Registries Repositories Ensuring optimal metadata discovery Case: Linked Open Vocabularies (LOV) FAIR Principles for Open Data [Final project starts]	Reading: Ch. 6. Additional Refs: FAIR Principles Try tool:  Intelligent Tagging’s RDF/XML output Try tool: Open Refine Watch: Introduction to OpenRefine	12a. Explore metadata services, including a registry, two repositories, and a portal. What to submit: Your report. [Optional 12c.  Discussions] What to post: List three choices for increasing metadata findability.
	Metadata Quality Criteria for measuring quality Evaluation methodology Quality approaches for LOD-enabled bibliographic data	Reading: Ch.7   Additional Refs: Europeana Metadata Quality Dashboard	13c. Discussions What to post: - (1) Your final project plan; -  (2) Give comments and suggestions to classmates' plans.
Week  14	Metadata Interoperability Schema level Description/record level Repository level Case:  International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) [Final project continues]	Reading: Ch. 8 Standard: International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) APIs  Additional Refs: · Europeana Data Model,  EDM Mapping Guidelines · Getty Vocabulary Crosswalk	14a. Cross-walking and data converting; Strategies for interoperability What to submit: A crosswalk, a brief report about your findings, and a strategic plan.
Week 15	Metadata Research Landscape, Activities, & Trends   Summary and Conclusion   [Final project completes]	Reading: Ch. 9 Additional Refs: · Proceedings of the DCMI Annual International Conference [WEBSITE] Revisit:  ·       DCMI Today YouTube	15a. Final project What to submit: Final project. 15b. Project showcase What to post: A presentation of your final project. Post in the General Discussion Board of the class. 15c.  Class discussions What to post:  Ten things I have learned in this course.
Bonus Week	Metadata as Linked data Linked Data in the practices of LAMs -Background -Cases	Reading: Ch. 6.4 & 6.5.2.4.

Notes:

Readings for each chapter: find on each chapter's page at textbook's website https://metadataetc.org/book-website3rd/

Appendix A. Metadata Standards -- Metadata schemas, application profiles, and registries
Appendix B. Value Encoding Schemes and Content Standards
Glossary (see textbook, also available on Blackboard Learn)
Bibliography (see textbook)

NOTICE OF MY COPYRIGHT AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS. Any intellectual property displayed or distributed to students during this course (including but not limited to PPTs, notes, quizzes, examinations) by the professor/lecturer/instructor remains the intellectual property of the professor/lecturer/instructor. This means that the student may not distribute, publish or provide such intellectual property to any other person or entity for any reason, commercial or otherwise, without the express written permission of the professor/lecturer/instructor.

To fellow professional instructors: If you would like to view my course materials, please contact me. The publisher also has access to a whole set of practices and assignments that we designed for instructors (guru.metadataetc.org/). Contact ALA Publishing (USA) or Facet Publishing (UK & outside of USA).