Overview
Currently central data stores associated with institutional repositories and other metadata aggregations face a number of challenges: data is often stored in remote locations, in incompatible data formats, and with varying degrees of quality--this data must be aggregated, normalized, and integrated. Existing data is frequently highly variable in quality, often incomplete, and may not conform to existing standards.
Components & Functions
One of the primary functions of the entire Metadata Management infrastructure is the aggregation of metadata from both multiple providers of metadata and services providing normalization and enhancement of that metadata. The Metadata Repository (MR) component provides an essential central storage function for this aggregation of data.
Metadata coming into the MR is shredded into individual elements or statements which form the base storage unit in the database. Each statement is uniquely identified, and an association is maintained with its parent item record, the collection or service providing that item record, and the metadata or service provider that is providing that service
Metadata Quality Improvement
The MMS can be viewed as a metadata washing machine, making unruly piles of dirty metadata clean and neatly folded. One of the key elements of this process is integrated services to support evaluation and improvement, both automated and manual, of metadata.