Capturing User-Generated Metadata

A key component of the management of digital data is the collection of metadata. Metadata is defined as data about data. It encompasses the description of the data and is essential in using or reusing the data. Metadata is often collected at the time the data are produced, but little attention is paid to the metadata that is created through the use or attempted use of the data. In this paper we propose an approach to enhance data management through the collection and management of metadata produced during the use or reuse of the data. The paper also describes an example of the approach applied to the iRODS data management system.