Metadata Capital in a Data Repository

Abstract

This paper reports on a study using collaborative modeling and content analysis methods for examine metadata reuse--as a form of metadata capital. A sample of 20 cases for two workflows, identified Case A and Case B, captured 100 instantiations (60 metadata objects, 40 metadata activities). Results indicate that Dryad's overall workflow has a substantial amount of metadata reuse, with 10 of the 12 metadata properties demonstrating metadata capital via reuse at 70% or greater. Metadata reuse was common for basic verbal properties such as, author, title, subject, and it was lacking--and in some cases non-existent--for more complex verbal properties, such as taxon, spatial, and temporal information, as well numerical or identifier properties such as date.issued, and dc.identifer.citation. System design priority areas are identified to promote the generation of more accurate metadata earlier in the metadata workflow. Contributions for studying metadata capital are also discussed.