Definition
Metadata is structured information about a resource. It tells future readers what something is, where it came from, how it can be used and how it relates to other records.
Scope
The concept includes titles, identifiers, creators, dates, formats, sources, rights, provenance, subjects, relations and preservation state.
Applications
Electronic Artefacts uses metadata in frontmatter, JSON-LD, graph relations, search documents and public pages.
Limitations
Metadata can be wrong, outdated or too vague. It requires review and should record uncertainty when knowledge is incomplete.
References
See Dublin Core, PREMIS, METS, provenance and digital preservation.