--- loncom/html/adm/help/tex/Metadata_Description.tex 2002/07/05 16:12:31 1.1 +++ loncom/html/adm/help/tex/Metadata_Description.tex 2013/08/05 15:24:47 1.6 @@ -1,18 +1,25 @@ +\label{Metadata_Description} -\index{Metadata}\label{What Is Metadata?}\emph{Metadata} is \emph{data about data}. Metadata can often be thought +\index{Metadata}\label{What Is Metadata?}\emph{Metadata} is \emph{data about data}. +Metadata can often be thought of as a label on some bit of information that can be useful to people or computer programs trying to use the data. Without metadata, the person or -computer trying to use the original information would have to just guess -what the original data is about. For instance, if you create a problem and +computer trying to use the original information would have to guess +what the original data is about. + +When resources are published at least title, subject and keywords should be +provided so that the resource could be found easily. + +For example, if you create a problem and neglect to say in the title or subject of the problem what it is about, then a human who wants to use that problem would have to read the problem itself -to see what it was about, which is much more difficult than just reading -a title. A computer trying to do the same thing would just be out of luck; +to see what it was about. This is much more difficult than just reading +a title. A computer trying to do the same thing would be out of luck; it is too stupid to understand the problem statement at all. -One example of metadata is the