Chapter 2. Description of a Metadata System
This chapter identifies common components of a metadata system for education
organizations, including key points influencing metadata governance, metadata
models, metadata item inventories, and comprehensive data dictionaries.
Metadata systems are driven by the information needs and characteristics
of each specific organization (see exhibit 2.1). This makes it challenging,
if not impossible, to describe a single model for a metadata system that
would apply to every state and local education agency. Still, most metadata systems
in education environments have some common features. The following description is
based on these commonalities. In general terms, a robust metadata system will include
- system governance arrangements that include policies and procedures for
metadata management and use within the organization, and related roles and
responsibilities for staff;
- a metadata model that links metadata items to existing data elements and data
sets;
- a list of relevant metadata items (i.e., a metadata item inventory), including a
lexicon that identifies shared vocabulary for term use and naming conventions;
and
- a comprehensive data dictionary.
