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Re: [Metadata] Academic involvement in Metadata
I'm a little puzzled by this, but I expect its a difference of terminology.
In the DOI approach (and all the other main initiatives, as far as I can
tell), all identifiers, titles or descriptive elements of any kind are
"metadata", so it's impossible to search for and select resources without
it. People use metadata constantly, whether they realise it or not. The
questions are about the organisation, structure and location of metadata,
not whether or not its a good thing.
It reminds me of the comment I heard a few weeks ago that "metadata is all
very well, but it'll never replace cataloguing". Metadata's just a new word
for a very old set of problems that have now become of central importance
because of the move to digital.
Does that makes sense, Helen, or am I missing a point here?
Godfrey
At 10:30 AM 2/12/99 -0000, Helen Pickering wrote:
>Has there been any investigation of the attitude of academic staff towards
>metadata? Have they been involved in metadata discussions at all, or have
>most participants from academia been librarians and rightsholders?
>
>I'm trying to find out how much academic staff know about metadata, and if
>they're likely to find it useful for locating and selecting teaching
>resource. For example, if they are searching for material to include in a
>reading list, will they be interested in the associated metadata?
>
>The view I'm getting from the very small number of academic staff and others
>who I've talked to about this is that, currently, metadata is of little
>direct relevance to teaching staff. Certainly not for resource location,
>although it may have more relevance for selection if rights metadata and
>format information is available. For example, if staff can see that the
>files are held as html, and they want to use pdf files, then they may decide
>that that particular copy of the material is not appropriate for them, and
>thus will not select that copy for their course.
>
>Any thoughts?
>
>Thanks,
>
>Helen
>
>Helen Pickering
>HERON Copyright Officer
>The Library, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA
>h.v.pickering@stir.ac.uk
>Phone +44 (0) 1786 466 615 Fax +44 (0) 1786 466 866
>Higher Education Resources On-demand (HERON)
>http://www.stir.ac.uk/infoserv/heron
>
>.....Madness takes its toll. Please have exact change.....
>
>------------------------------------------------------
>Metadata maillist - Metadata@doi.org
>http://www.doi.org/mailman/listinfo/metadata
>
>
Godfrey Rust
..........................................
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