Writers' First Review Draft:    (2VAK)

Term    (2WG5)

Metadata    (2WG6)

Origin/Source for Inclusion of the Term    (2WG7)

(1) OMB Enterprise Architecture Assessment Framework Version 1.5 (2) Data Reference Model Wiki http://colab.cim3.net/cgi-bin/wiki.pl?Enterprise_Architecture_Glossary_Of_Terms#nid2PS5 (3) Data Reference Model http://colab.cim3.net/cgi-bin/wiki.pl?DataReferenceModel_09_2004/TheGlossary_DRM_VolIv1    (2WG8)

OMB Context Definition    (2WG9)

(1) Metadata is "data about data." In other words, it is an unambiguous description or definition of the content, context, structure, quality, condition, semantics, and other characteristics of a data element for the purposes of representing the data element to a potential user for discovery and evaluation for potential use, access, transfer, and citation. (2) Represents information about the data and could include value constraints, naming rules, etc.    (2WGA)

Reference/URL OMB Context Definition    (2WGB)

(1) OMB Enterprise Architecture Assessment Framework Version 1.5 (2) Data Reference Model Wiki http://colab.cim3.net/cgi-bin/wiki.pl?Enterprise_Architecture_Glossary_Of_Terms#nid2PS5 (3) Data Reference Model http://colab.cim3.net/cgi-bin/wiki.pl?DataReferenceModel_09_2004/TheGlossary_DRM_VolIv1    (2WGC)

Business Definition    (2WGD)

Information describing the data. used by a business. This information can be very detailed and describe the "who, what, where, when, why, and how" of every aspect of the data.    (2WGE)

Reference/URL for Business Definition    (2WGF)

Original definition developed by David S. Walters, Vice President, Intervise, Inc., dwalters@intervise.com, 240 364 9500, created on June 20, 2005.    (2WGG)

Technical Definition    (2WGH)

Metadata is a mechanism used to describe data in a structured way and can be very simple or extremely detailed. Discovery-level metadata is the minimum amount of information needed to locate a particular document, information collection, data set or service.    (2WGI)

Metadata is more properly called ontology or schema when it is structured into hierarchical arrangements. Both terms describe “what exists” for some purpose or to enable some action. For instance, the arrangement of subject headings in a library catalog serves as not only a guide to finding books on a particular subject in the stacks, but also as a guide to what subjects “exist” in the library’s own ontology and how the more specialized topics are related to or derived from the more general subject headings    (2WGJ)

Reference/URL Technical Definition    (2WGK)

Synthesized definition from the following sources, all accessed on June 20, 2005: (1) http://www.e-government.govt.nz/docs/govis2001-guide/chapter2.html (2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metadata_(computing)    (2WGL)

Context Definition 1    (2WGM)

Reference/URL Context Definition 1    (2WGN)

Context Definition 2    (2WGO)

Reference/URL for Context Definition 2    (2WGP)

Context Definition 3    (2WGQ)

Reference/URL for Context Definition 3    (2WGR)

See Also Related Terms    (2WGS)

Ontology, Schema    (2WGT)