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The DCMI Science and Metadata Community is a forum for individuals and organizations to exchange information and knowledge about metadata describing scientific data (data methodologically collected for research, analysis, tracking, forecasting, and other uses). The Community focuses on metadata challenges specific to scientific data curation, and solutions that will benefit from the architecture and global reach of the Dublin Core Metadata Initiative.
Join the DC-SCIENCE listserv. If you are already a member of the community, please add your name to the People page on the wiki.
Background:
Funders of scientific research are increasingly attentive to the management of scientific data so that the full value of research investments can be realized and preserved. Doing so requires attention to the description and structure of datasets and to vocabularies for supporting data preservation, reuse, and repurposing.
The DCMI Science and Metadata Community is a forum for individuals and organizations to exchange information and knowledge about metadata describing scientific data (data methodologically collected for research, analysis, tracking, forecasting, and other uses). The Community focuses on metadata challenges specific to scientific data curation, and solutions that will benefit from the architecture and global reach of the Dublin Core Metadata Initiative.
The central challenges include:
- Canonical identification of datasets, critical for establishing provenance, auditing value and use, and attracting social-networking attention that will enhance their value.
- Better description of data and vocabularies, such that potential users may more easily determine suitability for use and repurposing, as well as ancillary applications for rendering and interpretation.
- Design and declaration of schemas to support reuse.
An initial deliverable of the group includes a survey of existing standards and metadata elements used to describe datasets, which will form the basis for community discussion and a work agenda to be initiated at DC-2009.
Summary notes from the DC-2008 conference Metadata for Scientific Datasets Workshop.
Please also see the Metadata Research Center (MRC), School of Information and Library Science, UNC Chapel Hill DCMI Science and Metadata Community resource page.
