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What is Metadata (Upper Data)?

Unlock the secrets of metadata—data about data—and discover how it powers organization, search, and automation across digital systems. Learn more

Ceyhun Enki Aksan
Ceyhun Enki Aksan Entrepreneur, Maker

Important Rules:

  1. Maintain the original formatting (markdown, HTML tags, links, etc.)
  2. Keep technical terms and proper nouns as appropriate
  3. Preserve code blocks and technical syntax exactly
  4. Maintain the same tone and style
  5. Only output the translated text, no explanations or comments

After the section on data, information and knowledge, let’s proceed with metadata.

Metadata appears in various environments and forms, such as with tools like git and web pages, whenever data is processed. So, what exactly does metadata mean?

Metadata (Upper Data)

Metadata (upper data, metaverse) refers to data that describes a system’s source or elements of data. It is simply “data about data.” These data are included within the relevant data package and/or document1.

Metadata is structured according to different standards depending on the field, for example, meta tags used on web pages, author, commit message, and timestamp information within a git commit, EXIF data processed in photos taken with digital cameras, and CDWA data used to define works of fine art and electronic images2. A person’s population record or a library’s card catalog or bibliography can also serve as examples of metadata3. In essence, metadata consists of pieces of information that are meaningless on their own but define the source of the data. Metadata has many types, including descriptive metadata,, structural metadata, administrative metadata, reference metadata, and statistical metadata4.

Metadata
Metadata

Of course, the subject should not be limited to a digital context. For example, the email we send contains many metadata elements such as access credentials, time, IP address, device used for email access, and recipient information. According to the Law No. 5651 on the Regulation of Publications Made in the Internet and the Prosecution of Crimes Committed Through Such Publications, many identifying pieces of traffic information may be retained within specified time periods and shared with the Information and Communication Technologies Authority.

Advanced Readings

*[CDWA]: Categories for the Description of Works of Art - CDWA

Footnotes

  1. Metadata, Wikipedia ↩
  2. Legal Information System: 5651 ↩
  3. Kononow, P. (2018, September 16). What is Metadata (with examples) – Dataedo Data terminology. Retrieved March 12, 2020, from https://dataedo.com/kb/data-glossary/what-is-metadata ↩
  4. Hacettepe University Faculty of Literature Journal, 2003, Vol. 20, No. 1, pp. 167-185. Umut Al, Mehmet Emin Küçük. “Metadata Standards and Applications” ↩
data terms