What is Metadata?

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Metadata, Anyway?
"Metadata" is the information, or data, that accompanies a piece of digitized content, such as a video or audio clip, graphic, or script. Examples of metadata include description, subject heading, file format, author/producer, rights holder, etc. When these fields of information use standardized vocabularies and have defined relationships, this constitutes a metadata model or dictionary, and the content can be more easily indexed, catalogued, searched, and retrieved.

Why Does Public Broadcasting Need to Use the Same Standard?
Within public broadcasting, the application of a shared metadata dictionary will facilitate the exchange and delivery of content and data (including both program elements and completed programs) throughout multiplatform production teams, the system of interconnected licensees and out to public broadcast and Internet constituents. It is a critical first step as PBS, NPR, PRI, individual stations, and others begin to acquire and use asset management systems to organize their content.

Who was Involved in the Public Broadcasting Metadata Dictionary Project?
WGBH administered the project. A 30-person Metadata Working Group, representing local and national television and radio organizations as well as numerous constituencies and disciplines, was formed. The project also included advisors from the University of Washington Information School, the Department of Defense's Academic CoLab (creators of the SCORM standard for learning objects) and Rutgers University/The Association of Moving Image Archivists.

What was the Actual Output of the Project?
A Public Broadcasting Dictionary was created , it provides a recommended set of "fields" that can be applied in any computer or print system. The first layer consists of core data elements (such as "date" or "title"), the next a more detailed set of "qualifiers" for each (such as "production completion" and "original broadcast").

The Public Broadcasting Metadata Dictionary is published online and is available for use without cost by public broadcasters and their partners. The most important thing to remember is that it must be applied correctly and consistently. The ContentDepot was designed based on this dictionary.

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FAQ courtesy of the CPB Public Broadcasting Metadata Dictionary Project.
More information is available at http://www.pbcore.org/index.html.