Yet Another Metadata Application Profile (YAMA): Authoring, Versioning and Publishing of Application Profiles

Abstract

Metadata Application Profiles are the elementary blueprints of any Metadata Instance. Efforts like the Singapore Framework for Dublin Core Application Profiles define the framework for designing metadata application profiles to ensure interoperability and reusability. However, the number of publicly accessible, especially machine actionable application profiles are significantly lower. Domain experts find it difficult to create application profiles, considering the technical aspects, costs and disproportionate incentives. Lack of easy-to-use tools for Metadata Application Profile creation is also a reason for lack of larger reach. This paper proposes Yet Another Metadata Application Profile (YAMA) as a user-friendly interoperable preprocessor for creating, maintaining and publishing Metadata Application Profiles. YAMA helps to produce various formats and standards to express the Metadata Application Profiles, changelogs, and different versions, with an expectation of simplifying Metadata Application Profile creation process for domain experts. YAMA includes an integrated syntax for recording application profiles as well as changes between different versions. A proof of concept toolkit, demonstrating the capabilities of YAMA is also being developed. YAMA boasts a human readable yet machine actionable syntax and format, which is seamlessly adaptable to modern version control workflows and expandable for any specific requirements.